Death

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 More Specific Terms 2 Introduction 3 Etiology 4 Epidemiology 5 Clinical-manifestations 6 More General Terms 7 Additional Terms 8 References

More Specific Terms

• brain death
• cell death
• necrosis
• stillborn

Introduction

• Irreversible cessation of all biologic function.

Etiology

• In 2002, cancer surpassed heart disease as major cause of death for people under age 85. In 2002, 476,009 people died of cancer, 450,637 died of heart disease.
• Causes of death in the United States 2008 [7]

*  heart disease         20.3% 
*  cancer                18.6% 
*         Lung cancer                   5.2% 
*         Leukemia//lymphoma            1.8% 
*         Colorectal carcinoma          1.8% 
*         Breast cancer                 1.4% (both sexes combined) 
*         pancreatic cancer             0.6% 
*         prostate cancer               0.5% 
*  chronic lung disease   4.6% 
*  stroke                 4.4% 
*  accidents              4.0% motor vehicle                  1.3% other                          2.7% 
*  Alzheimer's disease    2.7% 
*  diabetes mellitus      2.3% 
*  influenza & pneumonia  1.8% 
*  renal failure          1.6% 
*  sepsis                 1.2% 
*  suicide                1.2% 
*  liver disease          1.0% 
*  hypertension           0.8% 
*  Parkinson's disease    0.7% 
*  homicide               0.6% 
*  all other causes      15.4% 
* Age 65 & over 
*  heart disease         27.6% 
*  cancer                21.8% 
*  chronic lung disease   6.7% 
*  stroke                 6.3% 
*  Alzheimer's disease    4.5% 
*  diabetes mellitus      2.8% 
*  influenza & pneumonia  2.7% 
*  renal failure          2.2% 
*  accidents              2.2% 
*  sepsis                 1.5% 
*  all other causes      21.6%

• Until age 45, the most common cause of death is accidents [7]
• Until age 25, the most common cause of accident-related death is due to motor vehicle accidents [7]
• Age 45-64 cancer is the the most common cause of death, followed by heart disease & accidents [7]

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Epidemiology

• 64% of deaths < 65 years of age occur in males
• male/female ratio of deaths > 65 years of age ~= 1/1.
• 70% of deaths occur in individuals > 65 years of age

Clinical-manifestations

• cessation of respirations
• cessation of heartbeat
• patient is motionless
• patient cannot be aroused
• reflexes are absent (including corneal reflex)
• mouth may fall open as the jaw relaxes
• pupils are fixed & dilated
• eyelids may be partially open with eyes in a fixed stare
• any waste matter in the bowel or rectum will be released as the sphincter muscles relax

More General Terms

• physiologic process
• pathologic process

Additional Terms

• death note
• end of life
• impending death

References

1. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998
2. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed. Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 222
3. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed. Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 1106
4. Netscape sites American Cancer Society [1]
5. Death and Dying NIH Institute and Center Resources [2]
6. National Guideline Clearinghouse Death of a child in the emergency department: joint statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians. ngc-guideline: [3]
7. Minino AM et al Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2008 National Vital Statistics Reports 59(2) 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [4]
8. Murphy SL et al Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2010 National Vital Statistics Reports 60(4) 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [5]
9. National Center for Health Statistics [6]

death