[Unexplained deaths in minors in the Amsterdam-Zaandam region in 1990-2004 and the estimated number that will be considered for further investigation into the cause of death (the NODO procedure)].

Autor: de Bruin KH; GGD Amsterdam, afd. Forensische Geneeskunde, Postbus 2200, 1000 CE Amsterdam., de Keijzer JC, Rutgers RA, Das C
Jazyk: Dutch; Flemish
Zdroj: Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde [Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd] 2007 Feb 03; Vol. 151 (5), pp. 305-9.
Abstrakt: Objective: To determine how often deceased minors are examined by a forensic physician and the rate of unexplained deaths, and to estimate how often further investigation into the cause of death (the so-called NODO procedure) would be initiated.
Design: Descriptive, retrospective study.
Method: Statistics Netherlands (CBS) provided the number of deceased minors and the manner as well as cause of death for the Amsterdam-Zaandam region in the period 1990-2004. Data regarding residence, age, year of death, manner of death and cause of death were collected for all post-mortem examinations performed on minors during the same period using the registration system of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Amsterdam Municipal Health Services.
Results: A total of 2134 minors living in the Amsterdam-Zaandam region died in the period 1990-2004, according to the CBS. In this 15-year period the CBS registered 140 deaths (7%) that remained unexplained after post-mortem examination: 91 were registered as natural deaths due to unknown or unclear causes and 49 were registered as sudden infant death syndrome. In 306 cases (14%) the post-mortem examination was performed by municipal forensic physicians. Of these cases, 61 (20%) remained unexplained after post-mortem examination. In the remaining cases, post-mortem examination was performed by the treating physician.
Conclusion: The estimated annual number of cases that will be referred for the NODO procedure in the Amsterdam-Zaandam region is at least 10: 4 based on unexplained deaths after examination by a municipal forensic physician and 6 based on natural deaths with no known cause of death according to the treating physician. Nationwide, at least 125 of the expected 1800 childhood deaths will be referred annually.
Databáze: MEDLINE