[Descriptive study of autopsies of internal medicine department at the hospital of Barbastro and clinico-pathological correlation].

BACKGROUND: To review the autopsies of Internal Medicine Department at the Hospital of Barbastro and to compare clinical and pathological diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 51 consecutive autopsies performed between April 1989 to December 1996 is carried out. Clinico-pathological correlation is stablished with the underlying cause of death distinguishing among concordance and severe (with adverse impact on survival) or mild discrepancy. RESULTS: The autopsy rate was 6.6% in that period. 70.5% were male. The median of the age was 70. Severe yatrogenia was found in one case. Respiratory diseases (23.5%) followed by cardiovasculars (19.6%) and infections (17.6%) were the most frequents underlying cause of death. Pulmonary thromboembolism was demonstrated in 37.2%, being massive only in 7.8%. Discrepancies were found in 31% of cases, 25% mild and 6% severe. CONCLUSIONS: Our data are similar to other studies but differ essentially in a lesser number of severe discrepancies in our findings and also in the frequency of the groups of diseases (there are more infections and tumours in other series) attributed to the hospital features and to the oldness of the studied population, among others.