Tracking Missing Deaths: An Exploratory Study on the Mortality Impact of COVID-19 in Kozhikode City, India.

BACKGROUND: The debate over the extent of the mortality impact of COVID-19 in India is still unsettled. OBJECTIVES: This article contributes to the debate, seeking to explore the true mortality impact of the pandemic, by answering four interrelated questions. First, is there any discrepancy between recorded and actual death count? Second, if so, how large it is? Third, what is the extent of misclassification of COVID-19 mortality, and fourth, what is the magnitude of deaths that could be indirectly linked to COVID-19? MATERIALS AND METHODS: To answer the questions, we explored three sources of data-all-cause mortality data from the civil registration system, records maintained at the burial grounds/cemeteries and crematoriums, and a household survey. The data collection period was between August 2021 and November 2021. The instrument used for data collection of verbal autopsies was built on the instrument proposed by the World Health Organization for adult mortality. RESULTS: The results revealed that deaths due to various causes including COVID-19 increased considerably at some points in 2020-2021 compared to the base year 2019 in the study setting. Notably, 5.5% of the noninstitutional deaths were unreported at the time of the survey and many deaths were plausibly misclassified, leading to undercounting of COVID-19 deaths. Overall, about half of our sampled deaths (48%) had either direct or indirect attribution to the pandemic. CONCLUSION: The extent of undercounting of pandemic-related deaths is likely to be either similar or worse in other states. To get reliable state and national estimates, policymakers should conduct a large-scale study.

Unrecognised COVID-19 deaths in central Europe: The importance of cause-of-death certification for the COVID-19 burden assessment.

OBJECTIVE: In Central Europe, the increase in mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic exceeded the number of deaths registered due to coronavirus disease. Excess deaths reported to causes other than COVID-19 may have been due to unrecognised coronavirus disease, the interruptions in care in the overwhelmed health care facilities, or socioeconomic effects of the pandemic and lockdowns. Death certificates provide exhaustive medical information, allowing us to assess the extent of unrecognised COVID-19 deaths. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 187,300 death certificates with a COVID-19 mention from Austria, Bavaria (Germany), Czechia, Lithuania and Poland, 2020-2021, was used. The two step analysis uses Cause of Death Association Indicators (CDAIs) and Contributing CDAIs to identify and measure the statistical strength of associations between COVID-19 and all other medical mentions. RESULTS: 15,700 deaths were reported with COVID-19 only as a contributing condition (comorbidity). In three cases out of four, a typical, statistically significant coronavirus complication or pre-existing condition was registered as the underlying causes of death. In Austria, Bavaria, Czechia and Lithuania the scale of COVID-19 mortality would have been up to 18-27% higher had COVID-19 been coded as the underlying cause of death. Unrecognised coronavirus deaths were equivalent to the entire surplus of excess mortality beyond registered COVID-19 deaths in Austria and the Czech Republic, and its large proportion (25-31%) in Lithuania and Bavaria. CONCLUSIONS: Death certificates with typical coronavirus complications or comorbidities as the underlying causes of death and contributing COVID-19 mentions were plausibly unrecognized coronavirus deaths.

Evaluation of Errors on Death Certificates.

BACKGROUND: Death certificates provide vital data for disease surveillance and health policy. However, errors are common globally, undermining data reliability. This study analyzed prevalence and types of errors in death certificates at a tertiary hospital in Nepal. METHODS: A cross-sectional study reviewed all death certificates issued at Lumbini Medical College, Nepal from April 2020 to April 2022. Certificates were assessed for errors including improper sequencing, absent time intervals, abbreviations, illegible writing, and inaccurate immediate, antecedent, and underlying causes of death as per international guidelines. Errors were classified as major or minor. RESULTS: Of 139 certificates, none were error-free. The most common error was incorrectly or incompletely filling the immediate cause of death (77.7%). Other errors included absent time of death (17.3%), abbreviations (57.6%), illegible writing (22.3%), and omitting the hospital stamp/medical council registration number (8.6%). Based on international criteria, 76.3% had minor errors, 23% had both major and minor errors. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a high rate of errors in death certification at a tertiary hospital in Nepal, undermining data accuracy. Regular training and monitoring with feedback are recommended to improve certification practices. Accurate cause-of-death data is vital for healthcare policy and decision-making in Nepal.

COVID-19 Death Determination Methods, Minnesota, USA, 2020-20221.

Accurate and timely mortality surveillance is crucial for elucidating risk factors, particularly for emerging diseases. We compared use of COVID-19 keywords on death certificates alone to identify COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota, USA, during 2020-2022, with use of a standardized mortality definition incorporating additional clinical data. For analyses, we used likelihood ratio χ2 and median 1-way tests. Death certificates alone identified 96% of COVID-19 deaths confirmed by the standardized definition and an additional 3% of deaths that had been classified as non-COVID-19 deaths by the standardized definition. Agreement between methods was >90% for most groups except children, although agreement among adults varied by demographics and location at death. Overall median time from death to filing of death certificate was 3 days; decedent characteristics and whether autopsy was performed varied. Death certificates are an efficient and timely source of COVID-19 mortality data when paired with SARS-CoV-2 testing data.

Cause of death coding in asthma.

BACKGROUND: While clinical coding is intended to be an objective and standardized practice, it is important to recognize that it is not entirely the case. The clinical and bureaucratic practices from event of death to a case being entered into a research dataset are important context for analysing and interpreting this data. Variation in practices can influence the accuracy of the final coded record in two different stages: the reporting of the death certificate, and the International Classification of Diseases (Version 10; ICD-10) coding of that certificate. METHODS: This study investigated 91,022 deaths recorded in the Scottish Asthma Learning Healthcare System dataset between 2000 and 2017. Asthma-related deaths were identified by the presence of any of ICD-10 codes J45 or J46, in any position. These codes were categorized either as relating to asthma attacks specifically (status asthmatic; J46) or generally to asthma diagnosis (J45). RESULTS: We found that one in every 200 deaths in this were coded as being asthma related. Less than 1% of asthma-related mortality records used both J45 and J46 ICD-10 codes as causes. Infection (predominantly pneumonia) was more commonly reported as a contributing cause of death when J45 was the primary coded cause, compared to J46, which specifically denotes asthma attacks. CONCLUSION: Further inspection of patient history can be essential to validate deaths recorded as caused by asthma, and to identify potentially mis-recorded non-asthma deaths, particularly in those with complex comorbidities.

Accuracy, potential, and limitations of probabilistic record linkage in identifying deaths by gender identity and sexual orientation in the state of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Globally, the counting of deaths based on gender identity and sexual orientation has been a challenge for health systems. In most cases, non-governmental organizations have dedicated themselves to this work. Despite these efforts in generating information, the scarcity of official data presents significant limitations in policy formulation and actions guided by population needs. Therefore, this manuscript aims to evaluate the accuracy, potential, and limits of probabilistic data relationships to yield information on deaths according to gender identity and sexual orientation in the State of Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: This study evaluated the accuracy of the probabilistic record linkage to obtain information on deaths according to gender and sexual orientation. Data from two information systems were used from June 15, 2015 to December 31, 2020. We constructed nine probabilistic data relationship strategies and identified the performance and cutoff points of the best strategy. RESULTS: The best data blocking strategy was established through logical blocks with the first and last names, birthdate, and mother's name in the pairing strategy. With a population base of 80,178 records, 1556 deaths were retrieved. With an area under the curve of 0.979, this strategy presented 93.26% accuracy, 98.46% sensitivity, and 90.04% specificity for the cutoff point ≥ 17.9 of the data relationship score. The adoption of the cutoff point optimized the manual review phase, identifying 2259 (90.04%) of the 2509 false pairs and identifying 1532 (98.46%) of the 1556 true pairs. CONCLUSION: With the identification of possible strategies for determining probabilistic data relationships, the retrieval of information on mortality according to sexual and gender markers has become feasible. Based on information from the daily routine of health services, the formulation of public policies that consider the LGBTQ + population more closely reflects the reality experienced by these population groups.

Suicide mortality according to occupation and method of suicide, Massachusetts, 2010-2019.

BACKGROUND: Suicide rates in the United States have been increasing. Work-related factors may contribute to risk for suicide. These work-related factors may be reflected in a varied risk for different suicide methods between occupations. This study sought to assess occupational differences in suicide rates according to the method used. METHODS: Death certificate data about suicide deaths in Massachusetts between 2010 and 2019 were used to calculate mortality rates and rate ratios with univariable and multivariable models controlling for age, sex, race ethnicity, and educational attainment for suicides overall, and for three specific methods of suicide (hanging/strangulation/suffocation, firearms, and poisoning) by occupation. RESULTS: In multivariate models, the risk for suicide was significantly elevated for workers in arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (relative risk [RR] = 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.53, 2.22); construction trades (RR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.53, 1.84); protective services (RR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.26, 1.77); and healthcare support occupations (RR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.25, 1.93). Occupational risk for suicide differed across different methods. For hanging/strangulation/suffocation, workers in arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations had the highest RR (2.09, 95% CI = 1.61, 2.71). For firearms, workers in protective service occupations had the highest RR (4.20, 95% CI = 3.30, 5.34). For poisoning, workers in life, physical, and social science occupations had the highest RR (2.32, 95% CI = 1.49, 3.60). CONCLUSIONS: These findings are useful for identifying vulnerable working populations for suicide. Additionally, some of the occupational differences in the risk for suicide and for specific methods of suicide may be due to workplace factors. Further research is needed to understand these workplace factors so that interventions can be designed for prevention.

Multiple Causes of Death Associated with Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Arrest from 1996 to 2019 in Brazil. / Causas Múltiplas de Morte Associadas à Parada Cardiorrespiratória Pediátrica de 1996 a 2019 no Brasil.

BACKGROUND: In pediatrics, cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) is associated with high mortality and severe neurologic sequelae. Information on the causes and mechanisms of death below the age of 20 years could provide theoretical support for health improvement among children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a population analysis of mortality rates due to primary and multiple causes of death below the age of 20 years in both sexes from 1996 to 2019 in Brazil, and identify the frequency in which CPA was recorded in the death certificates (DCs) of these individuals and the locations where the deaths occurred, in order to promote strategies to improve the prevention of deaths. METHOD: Ecological time-series study of deaths below the age of 20 years from 1996 to 2019, evaluating the mortality rates (MRs) and proportional mortality (PM) by primary cause of death. We analyzed the percentages of CPA recorded in any line of the DC and the location where the deaths occurred. We calculated the MRs per 100,000 inhabitants and the PM by primary cause of death under the age of 20 years according to sex and age group, the percentages of death from primary causes by age group when CPA was described in any line of Parts I and II of the DC, and the percentage of deaths from primary causes according to their location of occurrence. We retrieved the data from DATASUS, IBGE, and SINASC. RESULTS: From 1996 to 2019, there were 2,151,716 deaths below the age of 20 years in Brazil, yielding a mortality rate of 134.38 per 100,000 inhabitants. The death rate was highest among male neonates. Of all deaths, 249,334 (11.6%) had CPA recorded in any line of the DC. Specifically, CPA was recorded in 49,178 DCs between the ages of 1 and 4 years and in 88,116 of those between the ages of 29 and 365 days, corresponding, respectively, to 26% and 22% of the deaths in these age groups. These two age groups had the highest rates of CPA recorded in any line of the DC. The main primary causes of death when CPA was recorded in the sequence of death were respiratory, hematologic, and neoplastic diseases. CONCLUSION: Perinatal and external causes were the primary causes of death, with highest MRs under the age of 20 years in Brazil from 1996 to 2019. When multiple causes of death were considered, the main primary causes associated with CPA were respiratory, hematologic, and neoplastic diseases. Most deaths occurred in the hospital environment. Better understanding of the sequence of events in these deaths and improvements in teaching strategies in pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation are needed.

FUNDAMENTO: Em pediatria, a parada cardiorrespiratória (PCR) está associada a alta mortalidade e graves sequelas neurológicas. Informações sobre as causas e mecanismos de morte abaixo de 20 anos poderiam fornecer subsídios teóricos para a melhoria da saúde de crianças e adolescentes. OBJETIVOS: Realizar uma análise populacional das taxas de mortalidade por causas primárias e múltiplas de morte abaixo de 20 anos, em ambos os sexos, no período de 1996 a 2019, no Brasil, e identificar a frequência com que a PCR foi registrada nas declarações de óbito (DOs) desses indivíduos e os locais de ocorrência dos óbitos, a fim de promover estratégias para melhorar a prevenção de mortes. MÉTODO: Estudo ecológico de séries temporais de óbitos em indivíduos menores de 20 anos, no período de 1996 a 2019, avaliando as taxas de mortalidade (TMs) e a mortalidade proporcional (MP) por causa básica de morte. Foram analisados os percentuais de PCR registrados em qualquer linha da DO e o local de ocorrência dos óbitos. Foram calculadas as TMs por 100 mil habitantes e a MP por causa básica de morte nos menores de 20 anos segundo sexo e faixa etária, os percentuais de óbito por causas básicas por faixa etária quando a PCR foi descrita em qualquer linha das Partes I e II da DO, e o percentual de óbitos por causas básicas segundo o local de ocorrência. Os dados foram retirados do DATASUS, IBGE e SINASC. RESULTADOS: De 1996 a 2019, ocorreram 2.151.716 óbitos de menores de 20 anos, no Brasil, gerando uma taxa de mortalidade de 134,38 por 100 mil habitantes. A taxa de óbito foi maior entre os recém-nascidos do sexo masculino. Do total de óbitos, 249.334 (11,6%) tiveram PCR registrada em qualquer linha da DO. Especificamente, a PCR foi registrada 49.178 vezes na DO na faixa etária entre 1 e 4 anos e em 88.116 vezes entre 29 e 365 dias, correspondendo, respectivamente, a 26% e 22% dos óbitos nessas faixas etárias. Essas duas faixas etárias apresentaram as maiores taxas de PCR registradas em qualquer linha da DO. As principais causas básicas de óbito quando a PCR foi registrada na sequência de óbitos foram doenças respiratórias, hematológicas e neoplásicas. CONCLUSÃO: As causas perinatais e externas foram as principais causas de morte, com maior TM nos menores de 20 anos no Brasil de 1996 a 2019. Quando consideradas as causas múltiplas de morte, as principais causas primárias associadas à PCR foram as doenças respiratórias, hematológicas e neoplásicas. A maioria dos óbitos ocorreu no ambiente hospitalar. Melhor compreensão da sequência de eventos nesses óbitos e melhorias nas estratégias de ensino em ressuscitação cardiopulmonar pediátrica são necessárias.

Leading causes of death in Vietnamese Americans: An ecological study based on national death records from 2005-2020.

BACKGROUND: Disaggregated data is a cornerstone of precision health. Vietnamese Americans (VietAms) are the fourth-largest Asian subgroup in the United States (US), and demonstrate a unique burden of disease and mortality. However, most prior studies have aggregated VietAms under the broader Asian American category for analytic purposes. This study examined the leading causes of death among VietAms compared to aggregated Asian Americans and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) during the period 2005-2020. METHODS: Decedent data, including underlying cause of death, were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics national mortality file from 2005 to 2020. Population denominator estimates were obtained from the American Community Survey one-year population estimates. Outcome measures included proportional mortality, age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 (AMR), and annual percent change (APC) in mortality over time. Data were stratified by sex and nativity status. Due to large differences in age structure, we report native- and foreign-born VietAms separately. FINDINGS: We identified 74,524 VietAm decedents over the study period (71,305 foreign-born, 3,219 native-born). Among foreign-born VietAms, the three leading causes of death were cancer (26.6%), heart disease (18.0%), and cerebrovascular disease (9.0%). Among native-born VietAms the three leading causes were accidents (19.0%), self-harm (12.0%), and cancer (10.4%). For every leading cause of death, VietAms exhibited lower mortality compared to both aggregated Asians and NHWs. Over the course of the study period, VietAms witnessed an increase in mortality in every leading cause. This effect was mostly driven by foreign-born, male VietAms. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: While VietAms have lower overall mortality from leading causes of death compared to aggregated Asians and NHWs, these advantages have eroded markedly between 2005 and 2020. These data emphasize the importance of racial disaggregation in the reporting of public health measures.

Combining deep neural networks, a rule-based expert system and targeted manual coding for ICD-10 coding causes of death of French death certificates from 2018 to 2019.

OBJECTIVE: For ICD-10 coding causes of death in France in 2018 and 2019, predictions by deep neural networks (DNNs) are employed in addition to fully automatic batch coding by a rule-based expert system and to interactive coding by the coding team focused on certificates with a special public health interest and those for which DNNs have a low confidence index. METHODS: Supervised seq-to-seq DNNs are trained on previously coded data to ICD-10 code multiple causes and underlying causes of death. The DNNs are then used to target death certificates to be sent to the coding team and to predict multiple causes and underlying causes of death for part of the certificates. Hence, the coding campaign for 2018 and 2019 combines three modes of coding and a loop of interaction between the three. FINDINGS: In this campaign, 62% of the certificates are automatically batch coded by the expert system, 3% by the coding team, and the remainder by DNNs. Compared to a traditional campaign that would have relied on automatic batch coding and manual coding, the present campaign reaches an accuracy of 93.4% for ICD-10 coding of the underlying cause (95.6% at the European shortlist level). Some limitations (risks of under- or overestimation) appear for certain ICD categories, with the advantage of being quantifiable. CONCLUSION: The combination of the three coding methods illustrates how artificial intelligence, automated and human codings are mutually enriching. Quantified limitations on some chapters of ICD codes encourage an increase in the volume of certificates sent for manual coding from 2021 onward.

Maternal mortality: protocol of a study integrated to the Birth in Brazil II survey. / Mortalidade materna: protocolo de um estudo integrado à pesquisa Nascer no Brasil II.

The Maternal Mortality Study conducts a hospital investigation of maternal deaths that occurred in 2020/2021 in the maternity hospitals sampled by the Birth in Brazil II survey, with the following objectives: estimate the maternal mortality underreporting; calculate a correction factor and the corrected (MMR); validate the causes of maternal mortality reported in the death certificate (DC); and analyze the factors associated with maternal mortality. The Birth in Brazil II includes approximately 24,250 puerperal women distributed in 465 public, private, and mixed hospitals with ≥ 100 live births/year in the five macroregions of Brazil. The Maternal Mortality Study data will be completed using the same Birth in Brazil II questionnaire, from the consultation of hospital records. Trained obstetricians will fill out a new DC (redone DC) from independent analysis of this questionnaire, comparing it to official data. The database of the investigated deaths will be related to the deaths listed in the Mortality Information System of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, allowing the estimation of underreporting and calculation of the corrected MMR. To calculate the reliability of the causes of death, the kappa test and prevalence-adjusted kappa with 95% confidence interval will be used. A case-control study to estimate the risk factors for maternal mortality will be developed with the investigated deaths (cases) and the controls obtained in the Birth in Brazil II survey, using conditional multiple logistic regression models. We expect this research to contribute to the correction of the underreporting of maternal mortality and to a better understanding of the determinants of the persistence of a high MMR in Brazil.

O Estudo da Mortalidade Materna conduz uma investigação hospitalar dos óbitos maternos ocorridos em 2020/2021 nas maternidades amostradas na pesquisa Nascer no Brasil II, com os seguintes objetivos: estimar o sub-registro da mortalidade materna e calcular um fator de correção e a razão de mortalidade materna (RMM) corrigida; validar as causas de mortalidade materna informadas na declaração de óbito (DO); e analisar os fatores associados à mortalidade materna. O Nascer no Brasil II inclui aproximadamente 24.255 puérperas distribuídas em 465 hospitais públicos, privados e mistos com ≥ 100 partos de nascidos vivos/ano nas cinco macrorregiões do país. Os dados do Estudo da Mortalidade Materna serão preenchidos utilizando o mesmo questionário do Nascer no Brasil II, a partir da consulta aos prontuários hospitalares. Obstetras treinados preencherão uma nova DO (DO refeita) a partir de análise independente desse questionário, comparando aos dados oficiais. A base de dados dos óbitos investigados será relacionada com os óbitos constantes no Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade do Ministério da Saúde, permitindo a estimativa do sub-registro e cálculo da RMM corrigida. Para o cálculo da confiabilidade das causas de morte, serão utilizados os testes kappa e kappa ajustado à prevalência com intervalo de 95% de confiança. Um estudo de caso-controle para estimar os fatores de risco para mortalidade materna será desenvolvido com os óbitos investigados (casos) e os controles obtidos na pesquisa Nascer no Brasil II, utilizando-se modelos de regressão logística múltipla condicional. Espera-se contribuir para a correção do sub-registro da mortalidade materna e para a melhor compreensão dos fatores determinantes da persistência de RMM elevada no Brasil.

El Estudio de Mortalidad Materna evalúa las muertes maternas ocurridas en 2020-2021 en las muestras de maternidades del encuesta Nacer en Brasil II con los objetivos de estimar el subregistro de mortalidad materna y calcular el factor de corrección y la tasa de mortalidad materna corregida (TMM); validar las causas de mortalidad materna reportadas en el certificado de defunción (CD); y analizar los factores asociados a la mortalidad materna. La Nacer en Brasil II incluye aproximadamente 24.250 mujeres puerperales, distribuidas en 465 hospitales públicos, privados y mixtos con ≥ 100 nacidos vivos/año en las cinco macrorregiones de Brasil. Los datos de Estudio de Mortalidad Materna se completarán con la información del cuestionario Nacer en Brasil II a partir de una búsqueda de los registros médicos hospitalarios. Los obstetras capacitados completarán un nuevo CD (CD rehecho) desde un análisis independiente de este cuestionario, comparándolo con los datos oficiales. La base de datos de muertes investigadas se relacionará con las muertes que constan en el Sistema de Informaciones sobre la Mortalidad del Ministerio de Salud para permitir la estimación del subregistro y el cálculo de la TMM corregida. Para calcular la exactitud de las causas de muerte, se utilizarán las pruebas kappa y kappa ajustada a la prevalencia con un intervalo de 95% de confianza. Un estudio de casos y controles se aplicará para estimar los factores de riesgo de las mortalidad materna con las muertes investigadas (casos) y los controles obtenidos en el estudio Nacer en Brasil II utilizando modelos de regresión logística múltiple condicional. Se espera que este estudio pueda contribuir a la corrección del subregistro de la mortalidad materna y a una mejor comprensión de los determinantes de la persistencia de alta TMM en Brasil.

Misclassification of causes of death among a small all-autopsied group of former nuclear workers: Death certificates vs. autopsy reports.

The U.S. Transuranium and Uranium Registries performs autopsies on each of its deceased Registrants as a part of its mission to follow up occupationally-exposed individuals. This provides a unique opportunity to explore death certificate misclassification errors, and the factors that influence them, among this small population of former nuclear workers. Underlying causes of death from death certificates and autopsy reports were coded using the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). These codes were then used to quantify misclassification rates among 268 individuals for whom both full autopsy reports and death certificates with legible underlying causes of death were available. When underlying causes of death were compared between death certificates and autopsy reports, death certificates correctly identified the underlying cause of death's ICD-10 disease chapter in 74.6% of cases. The remaining 25.4% of misclassified cases resulted in over-classification rates that ranged from 1.2% for external causes of mortality to 12.2% for circulatory disease, and under-classification rates that ranged from 7.7% for external causes of mortality to 47.4% for respiratory disease. Neoplasms had generally lower misclassification rates with 4.3% over-classification and 13.3% under-classification. A logistic regression revealed that the odds of a match were 2.8 times higher when clinical history was mentioned on the autopsy report than when it was not. Similarly, the odds of a match were 3.4 times higher when death certificates were completed using autopsy findings than when autopsy findings were not used. This analysis excluded cases where it could not be determined if autopsy findings were used to complete death certificates. The findings of this study are useful to investigate the impact of death certificate misclassification errors on radiation risk estimates and, therefore, improve the reliability of epidemiological studies.

Accuracy of routinely collected hospital administrative discharge data and death certificate ICD-10 diagnostic coding in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome: a systematic review and validation study.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review to identify existing ICD-10 coding validation studies in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome [PSP/CBS]) and, in a new study, evaluated the accuracy of ICD-10 diagnostic codes for PSP/CBS in Scottish hospital inpatient and death certificate data. METHODS: Original studies that assessed the accuracy of specific ICD-10 diagnostic codes in PSP/CBS were sought. Separately, we estimated the positive predictive value (PPV) of specific codes for PSP/CBS in inpatient hospital data (SMR01, SMR04) compared to clinical diagnosis in four regions. Sensitivity was assessed in one region due to a concurrent prevalence study. For PSP, the consistency of the G23.1 code in inpatient and death certificate coding was evaluated across Scotland. RESULTS: No previous ICD-10 validation studies were identified. 14,767 records (SMR01) and 1497 records (SMR04) were assigned the candidate ICD-10 diagnostic codes between February 2011 and July 2019. The best PPV was achieved with G23.1 (1.00, 95% CI 0.93-1.00) in PSP and G23.9 in CBS (0.20, 95% CI 0.04-0.62). The sensitivity of G23.1 for PSP was 0.52 (95% CI 0.33-0.70) and G31.8 for CBS was 0.17 (95% CI 0.05-0.45). Only 38.1% of deceased G23.1 hospital-coded cases also had this coding on their death certificate: the majority (49.0%) erroneously assigned the G12.2 code. DISCUSSION: The high G23.1 PPV in inpatient data shows it is a useful tool for PSP case ascertainment, but death certificate coding is inaccurate. The PPV and sensitivity of existing ICD-10 codes for CBS are poor due to a lack of a specific code.

Descriptive study of causes of death and COVID-19-associated morbidities from the New York City electronic death record: first wave of the pandemic March-July 2020.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing excess deaths from benchmarks across causes of death during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and identifying morbidities most frequently mentioned alongside COVID-19 deaths in the death record. METHODS: Descriptive study of death records between 11 March 2020 and 27 July 2020, from the New York City Bureau of Vital Statistics. Mortality counts and percentages were compared with the average for the same calendar period of the previous 2 years. Distributions of morbidities from among forty categories of conditions were generated citywide and by sex, race/ethnicity and four age groups. Causes of death were assumed to follow Poisson processes for Z-score construction. RESULTS: Within the study period, 46 563 all-cause deaths were reported; 132.9% higher than the average for the same period of the previous 2 years (19 989). Of those 46 563 records, 19 789 (42.5%) report COVID-19 as underlying cause of death. COVID-19 was the most prevalent cause across all demographics, with respiratory conditions (prominently pneumonia), hypertension and diabetes frequently mentioned morbidities. Black non-Hispanics had greater proportions of mentions of pneumonia, hypertension, and diabetes. Hispanics had the largest proportion of COVID-19 deaths (52.9%). Non-COVID-19 excess deaths relative to the previous 2-year averages were widely reported. CONCLUSION: Mortality directly due to COVID-19 was accompanied by significant increases across most other causes from their reference averages, potentially suggesting a sizable COVID-19 death undercount. Indirect effects due to COVID-19 may partially account for some increases, but findings are hardly dispositive. Unavailability of vaccines for the time period precludes any impact over excess deaths. Respiratory and cardiometabolic-related conditions were most frequently reported among COVID-19 deaths across demographic characteristics.

External post-mortem examination in virtual reality-scalability of a monocentric application.

Conducting external post-mortem examinations is an essential skill required of physicians in various countries, regardless of their specialization. However, the quality of these examinations has been a subject of continuous debates, and notable errors were reviled. In response to these shortcomings, a virtual reality (VR) application was developed at Halle's medical department in Germany, focusing on the scene of discovery and the completion of death certificates. The initial trial of this VR application in 2020 involved 39 students and 15 early-career professionals. Based on the feedback, the application underwent improvements and was subsequently introduced to the medical department in Dresden, Germany, in 2022. Its primary objective was to showcase the VR training's adaptability and scalability across various educational structures and levels of medical expertise. Out of 73 students who participated, 63 completed the evaluation process. 93.1% (n = 58) of the evaluators reported increased confidence in conducting external post-mortem examinations, and 96.8% (n = 61) felt more assured in filling out death certificates, crediting this progress to the VR training. Additionally, 98.4% (n = 62) believed that repeating forensic medical aspects in their coursework was crucial, and 96.8% (n = 61) viewed the VR examination as a valuable addition to their academic program. Despite these positive responses, 91.6% (n = 55) of participants maintained that training with real corpses remains irreplaceable due to the insufficiency of haptic feedback in VR. Nevertheless, the potential for enhancing the VR content and expanding the training to additional locations or related disciplines warrants further exploration.