Table 1.
Overall demographic and clinical characteristics of sudden unexpected deaths among adults stratified by tuberculosis status at Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Services, South Africa, 2016 (n = 543).
| Total (N=543) | No TB (n=490) | Resolved TB (n=9) | Active TB (n=44) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (col%) | n | (col%) | n | (col%) | n | (col%) | ||
| Demographic characteristics | |||||||||
| Age | 15–24 years | 31 | (5.7%) | 29 | (5.9%) | 0 | 2 | (4.5%) | |
| 25–34 years | 106 | (19.5%) | 98 | (20.0%) | 0 | 8 | (18.2%) | ||
| 35–44 years | 119 | (21.9%) | 107 | (21.8%) | 1 | (11.1%) | 11 | (25.0%) | |
| 45–54 years | 103 | (19.0%) | 90 | (18.4%) | 2 | (22.2%) | 11 | (25.0%) | |
| 55–64 years | 106 | (19.5%) | 96 | (19.6%) | 4 | (44.4%) | 6 | (13.6%) | |
| 65+ years | 78 | (14.4%) | 70 | (14.3%) | 2 | (22.2%) | 6 | (13.6%) | |
| Sex | Female | 175 | (32.2%) | 159 | (32.4%) | 2 | (22.2%) | 14 | (31.8%) |
| Male | 368 | (67.8%) | 331 | (67.6%) | 7 | (77.8%) | 30 | (68.2%) | |
| Collateral medical history | |||||||||
| HIV reported | 16 | (2.9%) | 15 | (3.1%) | 0 | 1 | (2.3%) | ||
| Previous TB | 19 | (3.5%) | 8 | (1.6%) | 1 | (11.1%) | 10 | (22.7%) | |
| Any symptoms of TB* | 50 | (9.2%) | 40 | (8.2%) | 2 | (22.2%) | 8 | (18.2%) | |
| Cough | 12/50 | (24.0%) | 10/40 | (25.0%) | 0 | 2/8 | (25.0%) | ||
| Loss of weight | 40/50 | (80.0%) | 30/40 | (75.0%) | 2/2 | (100.0%) | 8/8 | (100.0%) | |
| Night sweats | 4/50 | (8.0%) | 4/40 | (10.0%) | 0 | 0 | |||
| Post-mortem findings | |||||||||
| Classification of death* | Natural | 354 | (65.2%) | 306 | (62.4%) | 9 | (100.0%) | 39 | (88.6%) |
| Unnatural | 59 | (10.9%) | 56 | (11.4%) | 0 | 3 | (6.8%) | ||
| Undetermined | 130 | (23.9%) | 128 | (26.1%) | 0 | 2 | (4.5%) | ||
| Completed autopsy | 529 | (97.4%) | 482 | (98.4%) | 8 | (88.9%) | 39 | (88.6%) | |
| Macroscopic features of TB | 30 | (5.5%) | 0 | 4 | (44.4%) | 26 | (59.1% | ||
| Histological features of TB | 22 | (4.1%) | 0 | 6 | (66.7%) | 16 | (36.4%) | ||
| Health information linkage with PHDC | |||||||||
| Linked successfully | 288 | (53.0%) | 257 | (52.4%) | 6 | (66.7% | 25 | (56.8%) | |
| Previous TB investigations | 46/288 | (16.0%) | 36/257 | (7.3%) | 2/6 | (33.3%) | 8/25 | (32.0%) | |
| Previous TB treatment record | 19/288 | (6.6%) | 10/257 | (2.0%) | 3/6 | (50.0%) | 6/25 | (24.0%) | |
*
The classification of death is as reported by the forensic pathologist.
**
Any symptoms of TB included a summary of decedents with either, cough, loss of weight or night sweats.
FPS: Forensic Pathology Services; PHDC: Provincial Health Data Centre; TB: tuberculosis.