Diagnosis of sudden death at the «Hospital Dr. Agostinho Neto» in Guantánamo, Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: The diagnosis of sudden death represents a challenge for health systems worldwide.

Objective: To assess trends in the diagnosis of sudden death.

Method: Cross-sectional, retrospective and correlational study in 58 cases diagnosed with sudden death who were performed an autopsy at the «Hospital Agostinho Neto» of Guantánamo, Cuba, in 2015.

Results: Deceased patients with the above mentioned diagnosis predominated, males (56.9%) at the out-of-hospital setting (55.2%) and due to non-ischemic causes (58.6%). In 51.6%, the diagnosis was not issued as stated in the international nomenclature. The 90% of the sudden cardiac ischemic deaths was produced by acute myocardial infarction and in 88.2% of the non-ischemic cases, global cardiomegaly was observed with hypertrophy or dilatation, or both, of the cardiac cavities. A correlation between the corrected and direct causes of death was found, as well as between the intermediate and basic ones.

Conclusions: The out-of-hospital sudden death prevailed. There was no demonstrated the correlation between the place of death, the age groups and sex with the basic and direct causes of death, but there was an actual relationship between the direct cause of original death and the corrected one, denoting that the sudden death diagnosis was not stated as in the international nomenclature.