Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
Background Sudden death is an important global public health issue. An autopsy is an important source of epidemiological data, as the considerable causes of sudden death remain hermetic until postmortem examination. This study is devoted to evaluating the sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical and p...
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F1000 Research Ltd
2025-02-01
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| author | Sesen Tsegaye Tekle Alemayehu Shiferaw Lema |
| author_facet | Sesen Tsegaye Tekle Alemayehu Shiferaw Lema |
| author_sort | Sesen Tsegaye Tekle |
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| description | Background Sudden death is an important global public health issue. An autopsy is an important source of epidemiological data, as the considerable causes of sudden death remain hermetic until postmortem examination. This study is devoted to evaluating the sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical and pathological characteristics of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia. Methods This is an observational, prospective, descriptive study that included all sudden deaths observed over 1 year at St. Paul’s Hospital and Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Results Sudden death (n = 568) accounted for 11.5% (95% CI: 10.6-12.4) of all autopsied cases. There were 482 males and 86 females (M:F ratio of 5.6:1) and a mean age of 44.8±17.349. The peak age group was the fourth and fifth decades, accounting for 43.9% of the cases. Chronic substance abuse and a history of prior illness were declared in 40.1% and 38% of cases of sudden death, respectively. Cardiovascular (36.1%), respiratory (32.6%), and gastrointestinal system (19.5%) pathologies were the most common causes. The leading underlying causes of sudden death were ischemic heart disease and pneumonia. Most (86.6%) sudden deaths occurred outside of a hospital setting. Conclusions Most of the causes of sudden death in Ethiopia can be prevented and treated. The majority of sudden deaths are silent without preexisting symptoms. Therefore, it is vital to develop public health measures that will help educate the community about the importance of recognizing the manifestation of various clinical conditions and the need to seek immediate clinical help. Furthermore, efforts should be made to make healthcare facilities accessible and affordable with adequate diagnostic and management capacity. Documentation of autopsy-based data could provide important epidemiological information to guide medical services, prevention efforts, and control measures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-17e9dc55e4ff48759ae539f256bc24e4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2046-1402 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-17e9dc55e4ff48759ae539f256bc24e42025-08-20T03:12:41ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022025-02-011210.12688/f1000research.142511.2177058Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]Sesen Tsegaye Tekle0Alemayehu Shiferaw Lema1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2884-5609Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1271, EthiopiaDepartment of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1271, EthiopiaBackground Sudden death is an important global public health issue. An autopsy is an important source of epidemiological data, as the considerable causes of sudden death remain hermetic until postmortem examination. This study is devoted to evaluating the sociodemographic, behavioral, clinical and pathological characteristics of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia. Methods This is an observational, prospective, descriptive study that included all sudden deaths observed over 1 year at St. Paul’s Hospital and Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Results Sudden death (n = 568) accounted for 11.5% (95% CI: 10.6-12.4) of all autopsied cases. There were 482 males and 86 females (M:F ratio of 5.6:1) and a mean age of 44.8±17.349. The peak age group was the fourth and fifth decades, accounting for 43.9% of the cases. Chronic substance abuse and a history of prior illness were declared in 40.1% and 38% of cases of sudden death, respectively. Cardiovascular (36.1%), respiratory (32.6%), and gastrointestinal system (19.5%) pathologies were the most common causes. The leading underlying causes of sudden death were ischemic heart disease and pneumonia. Most (86.6%) sudden deaths occurred outside of a hospital setting. Conclusions Most of the causes of sudden death in Ethiopia can be prevented and treated. The majority of sudden deaths are silent without preexisting symptoms. Therefore, it is vital to develop public health measures that will help educate the community about the importance of recognizing the manifestation of various clinical conditions and the need to seek immediate clinical help. Furthermore, efforts should be made to make healthcare facilities accessible and affordable with adequate diagnostic and management capacity. Documentation of autopsy-based data could provide important epidemiological information to guide medical services, prevention efforts, and control measures.https://f1000research.com/articles/12-1441/v2Sudden death Sudden and unexpected natural death Sudden cardiac death Causes of death Autopsy Natural deatheng |
| spellingShingle | Sesen Tsegaye Tekle Alemayehu Shiferaw Lema Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] F1000Research Sudden death Sudden and unexpected natural death Sudden cardiac death Causes of death Autopsy Natural death eng |
| title | Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_full | Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_short | Epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in Ethiopia: an autopsy-based study [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_sort | epidemiological profiles and causes of sudden deaths of various ages in ethiopia an autopsy based study version 2 peer review 1 approved 2 approved with reservations |
| topic | Sudden death Sudden and unexpected natural death Sudden cardiac death Causes of death Autopsy Natural death eng |
| url | https://f1000research.com/articles/12-1441/v2 |
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