CAUSES OF SUDDEN NATURAL DEATH: A MEDICO-LEGAL AUTOPSY STUDY OF MEDICAL CASES IN AN AFRICAN REFERRAL CENTRE

To evaluate and characterise the causes of sudden natural deaths (SNDs) that occurred in medical cases in an African referral centre.

A descriptive retrospective study.

University of Benin Teaching Hospital, between January 2005 and December 2011.

Autopsy reports of 626 cases that were referred to the coroner.

A total of 626 cases of SNDswere identified representing 30.3% of all autopsies performed within the period. There were 390 (62.3%) males and 236 (37.7%) females with a M:F ratio of 1.7:1. The age range of the cases was 19-105 years with a mean age of 51 ± 17 years. The modal age group was 40-49 years which accounted for 19.8% of the cases, and most of the cases (56.8%) were seen in the 30-59 year age groups. In majority of cases (39.3%), the cause of death was related to the cardio-vascular system-principally death due to complications of hypertension which was seen in 88.2% of the cardio-vascular system diseases. Immune/infectious diseases (mainly AIDS), gastro-intestinal/hepatic lesions and respiratory diseases were seen in 15.2, 14.1 and 12.5% of cases respectively. SNDs due to malignant neoplasms were not a common finding as they occurred in 5.1% of cases.

This study shows that with the increasing, modernisation of our lifestyle and dietary habits, cardio-vascular system diseases-particularly complications of hypertension have become the leading cause of sudden natural death in our environment.