Goraya et al reviewed death certificates to identify patients with coronary heart disease as the cause of death. The authors are from the Mayo Clinic and Olmsted County Coroner's Office.
Findings used to evaluate the cases:
(1) exclusion of other conditions as the cause of death
(2) acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosed at autopsy
(3) death < 1 hour after onset of severe cardiac symptoms or after the patient was last seen without symptoms
(4) death >= 1 hour but < 24 hours after onset of severe cardiac symptoms or after the patient was last seen without symptoms
(5) death certificate ICD9 codes 410 to 414 (coronary heart disease, CHD)
(6) past history of acute myocardial infarction
(7) autopsy evidence of old myocardial infarction or presence of severe atherosclerotic heart disease
Pattern of Findings
Diagnosis
1 and 2
definite fatal AMI
1 and 3
definite sudden death due to coronary heart disease (CHD)
1 and 5 and (4 or 6 or 7)
definite fatal coronary heart disease
1 and 5 without other
possible fatal coronary heart disease
any other pattern
death not due to coronary heart disease
where:
• The presence of 2 without 1 might qualify for possible AMI.
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