Comparison of the Causes of Death Identified Using Automated Verbal Autopsy and Complete Autopsy among Brought-in-Dead Cases at a Tertiary Hospital in Sub-Sahara Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Over one-third of deaths recorded at health facilities in Zambia are brought in dead (BID) and the causes of death (CODs) are not fully analyzed. The use of automated verbal autopsy (VA) has reportedly determined the CODs of more BID cases than the death notification form issued by the hospital. However, the validity of automated VA is yet to be fully investigated.

Objectives

To compare the CODs identified by automated VA with those by complete autopsy to examine the validity of a VA tool.

Methods

The study site was the tertiary hospital in the capital city of Zambia. From September 2019 to January 2020, all BID cases aged 13 years and older brought to the hospital during the daytime on weekdays were enrolled in this study. External COD cases were excluded.

SUBMITTER: Yokobori Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9200488 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature