Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35794568›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2022

Garbage codes in the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry 1996-2019.

Christian Lycke Ellingsen, G Cecilie Alfsen, Marta Ebbing, Anne Gro Pedersen, Gerhard Sulo, Stein Emil Vollset, Geir Sverre Braut

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed.

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  13. Multi-City Analysis of the Acute Effect of Polish Smog on Cause-Specific Mortality (EP-PARTICLES Study).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Christian Lycke EllingsenDepartment of Pathology, Stavanger University Hospital, PO Box 8100, N-4068, Stavanger, Norway. christian.lycke.ellingsen@sus.no.
G Cecilie AlfsenDepartment of Pathology, Akershus University Hospital, PO Box 1000, N-1478, Lørenskog, Norway.
Marta EbbingDepartment of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, PO Box 1400, N-5021, Bergen, Norway.
Anne Gro PedersenDepartment for Health Data and Collection, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 973, Sentrum, N-5808, Bergen, Norway.
Gerhard SuloCentre for Disease Burden, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 973, Sentrum, N-5808, Bergen, Norway.
Stein Emil VollsetDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, PO Box 7804, N-5020, Bergen, Norway.
Geir Sverre BrautDepartment of Research, Stavanger University Hospital, PO Box 8100, N-4068, Stavanger, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundReliable statistics on the underlying cause of death are essential for monitoring the health in a population. When there is insufficient information to identify the true underlying cause of death, the death will be classified using less informative codes, garbage codes. If many deaths are assigned a garbage code, the information value of the cause-of-death statistics is reduced. The aim of this study was to analyse the use of garbage codes in the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry (NCoDR).

methodsData from NCoDR on all deaths among Norwegian residents in the years 1996-2019 were used to describe the occurrence of garbage codes. We used logistic regression analyses to identify determinants for the use of garbage codes. Possible explanatory factors were year of death, sex, age of death, place of death and whether an autopsy was performed.

resultsA total of 29.0% (290,469/1,000,128) of the deaths were coded with a garbage code; 14.1% (140,804/1,000,128) with a major and 15.0% (149,665/1,000,128) with a minor garbage code. The five most common major garbage codes overall were ICD-10 codes I50 (heart failure), R96 (sudden death), R54 (senility), X59 (exposure to unspecified factor), and A41 (other sepsis). The most prevalent minor garbage codes were I64 (unspecified stroke), J18 (unspecified pneumonia), C80 (malignant neoplasm with unknown primary site), E14 (unspecified diabetes mellitus), and I69 (sequelae of cerebrovascular disease). The most important determinants for the use of garbage codes were the age of the deceased (OR 17.4 for age ≥ 90 vs age < 1) and death outside hospital (OR 2.08 for unknown place of death vs hospital).

conclusionOver a 24-year period, garbage codes were used in 29.0% of all deaths. The most important determinants of a death to be assigned a garbage code were advanced age and place of death outside hospital. Knowledge of the national epidemiological situation, as well as the rules and guidelines for mortality coding, is essential for understanding the prevalence and distribution of garbage codes, in order to rely on vital statistics.

Indexed as

International Classification of DiseasesAutopsyCause of DeathDisease ProgressionHumansRegistriesCause of deathCause of death registerDeath certificateGarbage codeNon-informative code

Identifiers

PMID35794568
PMCPMC9261062

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.