A Retrospective Analysis Of Cases Of In-Hospital Mortality In General Surgery Patients

Abstract

Background: Death is the termination of life. Causes of mortality during hospitalization differ from the causes of mortality in general population. Cancer patients wish to stay in palliative care unit, internal medicine clinic or surgery clinic during their terminal period. They wait dying, in other words, the inevitable end in these places. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze the cases of mortality in patients who were being hospitalized at general surgery clinic and died at the hospital, and to discuss the data under the light of the current literature. Methods: Medical records of the patients who were being hospitalized at general surgery clinic of our hospital between July 2015 and July 2019 and who died during their hospitalization were retrospectively analyzed through hospital data management system and patient files. Results: A total of 228 patients of whom 52.2% (n=119) were males and 47.8% (n=109) were females were included in the study. Patients were allocated to two groups as the emergency cases and the elective cases. Ratio of malignity and complications was higher in elective group (p<0.01). Ratio of infection and sepsis was higher in the emergency group (p<0.05, p<0.01). Duration from hospitalization to death was longer in the patients who had complications as compared to the ones without complications (p<0.01). Conclusion: Despite the presence of palliative care units for the patients in terminal period of their lives, general surgery clinics still meet this need widely. Cancer and sepsis are the major causes of mortality in general surgery clinics. Mortality rates may be reduced by timely detection and prevention of complications.