Medical dispute and sudden death:a clinicopathologic analysis of 269 cases

Purpose To analyze the cause,characteristics and distribution of diseases of sudden-death in medical disputes.Methods 269 autopsy cases of sudden death associated with medical disputes were collected and analyzed by histopathologic examinations,some of which were toxicologically detected by forensic methods.Results Among the 269 cases,the male was significantly higher than female,and the high risk population was from 15 to 60 years old.Cardiovascular system diseases were the most common diseases,in which the lung embolism was the most common,followed by the diseases of digestive system,respiratory system,central nerve system,urogenital system,and other systems(such as endocrine and immune system).Most of the cases happened in the hospital.The coincidence rate between the clinical and pathological diagnosis was low.Conclusions The main cause of medical disputes is deficient in exact diagnosis and adequate explanation.Autopsy is of great importance in identifying the death causes and authenticating medical issues.The age and the distribution of diseases have specific significance in the sudden death cases leading to medical disputes.