Mortality in a thoracic surgery department of a University Hospital of Rabat

This study was mainly done from the wards' registers, the hospital's registers, the death certificates and the medical charts. We noted 343 deaths among the 10.140 patients admitted during the ten years [3.4%]. Deaths were more frequent in males [3.7%] than in females [2.6%]. Deaths were more frequent in patients admitted from the emergency unit of the hospital [8%]. They occured a little more during autumn and winter [55.4%]. Forty two percent occured during the first ten days of hospitalisation and 15% during the first day. Cancer was the most frequent cause of death [36.7% with 20.4% were primitive lung cancer]. The principal other causes were: tuberculosis and its sequelae [15.6%], bronchial, pulmonary and pleural non specific infections [12.5%], hydatic cyst [9%], chronic broncho-pulmonary diseases [6.1%]. No cause was determined in 10% of cases. Among the 3.248 surgical patients we noted 63 deaths [1.9%]: 10.6% for primitive lung cancer, 5% for aspergilloma, 2.1% for tuberculosis and its sequelae and 0.9% for hydatic cysts. The importance of hospital mortality studies is stressed