Ferrer MD, Ochoa MLA, Pérez ÁH

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 196-206
PDF size: 431.11 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Heart diseases are nowadays the most frequent cause of premature death and disability in the world and future projections indicate that it should continue to be the leading cause in industrialized countries. There is a statistical underregistration of this disease in Cuba and from the existing estimates, a specific unexpected death rate of 105.2 per 100 thousand inhabitants is expected, equivalent to nearly 12.3% of natural deaths (one episode each 45 minutes). In most nations, the absence of protocols, strategies, guidelines and diagnostic algorithms, which methodologically guide data collection, remains an important limitation. Moreover, the non-standard- ization of criteria, in countries where there are guidelines for their study, contributes to the differences observed in the current reports of individual series. Hence practice guidelines for research work on sudden cardiac death are presented; showing the systematics to be developed and containing the main variables (necropsy studies and complementary investigation), to be used for research work on this disease in Cuba. This will allow data recording of sudden death and diseases that cause it (when they can be identified), with no other type of under-reporting.