Iranian Journal of

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Background: Because of various health problems, the risk of the death in the elderly is higher than adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes of the death, and comparing the cause of death that recorded on the death certificates and those were extracted from the medical records review. Methods: Variables included the demographic characteristics (age and sex), time of death and the cause of death were recorded in the death certifies and those were extracted from the medical records. Results: The mean of death age was 83.8 (8.50) years and in women and men were 84.2 and 81.5 years, respectively, (P < 0.01).The most prevalent cause of death was sudden cardiac death based on both death certificates recorded and review of medical records were 42.5% and 25.9% respectively. Sudden cardiac death in both methods was higher in women than men. Using the kappa, the highest degree of correspondence about the cause of death between two method was about gastrointestinal bleeding (K = 0.76) and then the cancers (K = 0.71) and respiratory infections (K =0.67). Total Kappa of two methods for causes of mortality was 0.50. The most cases of death were reported during 12:00 – 13:59 and 8:00 – 9:59am, time period (16.2 % and 14.1% respectively). Conclusion: the causes of deaths, which are recorded in the elderly nursing homes, do not have enough accuracy. Due to the high incidence of sudden cardiac death in elderly in nursing homes, resuscitation facilities and teams may be helping to reduce these types of death.

Keywords: causes of death, Aged, sudden cardiac death, death registry, Iran

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