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Renal‐related deaths in Australia 1997−1999
Author(s) -
Li S. Q.,
Cunningham J.,
Cass A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1444-0903.2004.00565.x
Subject(s) - medicine , death certificate , cause of death , disease , context (archaeology) , kidney disease , mortality rate , end stage renal disease , intensive care medicine , paleontology , biology
Background: Despite marked increases in cases of treated end‐stage renal disease in Australia, little is known about renal disease mortality. Aims: To quantify the contribution of renal diseases to mortality in Australia and to explore the relationship between renal disease and other common diseases as causes of death. Methods: Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on underlying and associated causes of death (based on death certificates) were examined for deaths occurring in 1997−1999 and registered by the end of 1999. Causes of death were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD‐10). Several causes outside the ICD‐10 chapter on diseases of the genito‐urinary system (e.g. diabetic renal disease, hypertensive renal disease and congenital malformations of the kidney) were included as renal. Results: Of 378 832 recorded deaths, renal disease was coded as the underlying cause for 7888 (2.1%) and as an associated cause for an additional 28 012 (7.4%). Almost all renal deaths (98.4%) had at least one other cause of death recorded on the death certificate. Conclusions: The contribution of renal disease to Australian mortality has been underestimated because of historical reliance on a single (underlying) cause of death. Deaths involving renal disease usually occur in the context of multiple coexisting chronic and/or acute conditions. (Intern Med J 2004; 34: 259−265)