[Reliability of recorded deaths from asthma in Denmark during a 1-year period 1994-1995]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of death certificates over a one-year period, where asthma was given as the cause of death.

All medical information available was collected on 218 patients by reviewing hospital records, records from general practitioners, and sometimes by interviewing close relatives. A panel of four pulmonologists each examined the information and independently assessed the cause of death.

Thirty-nine were excluded, as the cause of death could not be validated. In 16 (9%) of the subjects, asthma was judged to be the definite cause of death and in 12 (7%) a possible cause. Of 151 non-asthma deaths, but registered as asthma, 109 were judged to have suffered or died from COPD and 14 from heart disease.

The accuracy of Danish death certification in asthma deaths is poor, especially in the elderly, where COPD is often classified as asthma. We conclude that the true mortality from asthma in Denmark is substantially lower than that officially recorded.