Mortality and autopsy rate for gastrointestinal diseases in Finland in 1955--1973

Gastrointestinal diseases accounted for about 10% of all natural deaths in Finland in 1955--1973. Total mortality for these diseases decreased slightly amongst young and middle-aged people in 1955--1973. This was mainly because mortality for ulcerative diseases of the stomach and the small intestine decreased continuously in practically all are groups, and also because the death rates of men and women from malignant neoplasms of the stomach decreased slightly but linearly at all ages. The autopsy rates increased highly significantly in all major categories of deaths between 1963 and 1973. In 1973 the autopsy rate for diseases of the digestive system (the ninth ICD main group) was 67%. This rate exceeded highly significantly the mean autopsy rate recorded for all (38%) and all natural deaths (33%). The autopsy rate for gastrointestinal malignancies was 26%, which in turn was highly significantly lower than the average rate for all and all natural deaths. The highest single autopsy rates in 1973 were recorded for ulcer of the duodenum (87%), diseases of the pancreas (78%), cholelithiasis (77%), and chronic enteritis and ulcerative colitis (76%). The present results suggest that the mortality statistics of Finland are obviously more reliable for the gastrointestinal diseases as a cause of death than in most other major categories of diseases.