Evaluation of deaths in soma county of manisa province by verbal autopsy

SummaryEvaluation of Deaths in Soma County of Manisa Province by Verbal AutopsySelda YÖRÜKAim: To evaluate deaths in Soma between 2000 and 2005, and determining reasonsof motality criterias.Material and method: Our study is a descriptive research. All the deaths recordedin health directorship and cemetry registeries between 2000 and 2005 werestudied. Mortality rates were calculated. In counties, municipalities and villageswith clinic were chosen. In town centers, clinics in towns with higher populationwere chosen and verbal autopsy was practiced on deaths in the last year.Findings: Not all the deaths in Soma town center were recorded in healthdirectorship?s registries. Evaluations were made according to verbal declarations. Themost common death reasons are cardiovascular diseases and cancer in all adultdeaths. However mortality of children under five years of age, the most commonreasons of death were infections, unidentified reasons, preterm birth, asfecticreasons and congenital anomalies. Lung cancer is the most common type of cancerboth in males and females. Crude death rate in the year 2005 was 3.4 in thousand intown center and 3.1 in thousand in county. Infant mortality rate in the year 2005 was9.6 in thousand in town center and 25.3 in thousand in county. Verbal autopsy waspracticed to 120 adult deaths and 7 infant deaths. In verbal autopsy diagnosis themost common death reasons were hypertension, aging, heart insufficiency and lungcancer according to doctor evaluations. Death reasons of under five age were asfecticreasons, other reasons, congenital anomalies, preterm birth, baby food aspiration andtraffic accident.Results: Death declarations are incomplete in town center of Soma both inquantity and quality. To correct these deficiencies, verbal autopsy method can beused especially to determine main death reasons.Keywords: death reasons, verbal autopsy, registeries