3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/03/2012   
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TECHNICAL NOTE 1 CAUSES OF DEATH REVISIONS 2006


OVERVIEW

1 There have been two process improvements implemented by the ABS in recent years which have improved the quality of data, with the biggest improvements seen in the external cause chapter and for coroner certified deaths. These processes were both implemented for the 2008 reference year. The first was a revisions process outlined in Explanatory Notes 35-39 and the second was in relation to the use of additional information stored within reports on the NCIS, see Explanatory Notes 63-73 for further information. The following technical note outlines the impact of the revisions process on 2006 data.

2 Previous publications of the Causes of Death, Australia indicated that all coroner certified deaths registered after 1 January 2007 are now subject to a revisions process. In order to improve the quality of historical data, the 2006 reference year data has also been revised as part of the Causes of Death, Australia, 2010 release. Therefore in the current release, 2006, 2007 and 2008 data is final, 2009 data is revised and 2010 data is preliminary. 2009 and 2010 data is subject to further revisions.

3 The process for revising the 2006 reference year was similar to the standard revisions methodology. Deaths that were reviewed were those that were open or unmatched at the time 2006 data were released. The difference between the process for 2006 and that for subsequent years, was that quality checks were run on all 2006 coroner certified records, not just those that were in scope for revisions. As a result, some additional records were reviewed and potentially revised. Specific codes that were targeted by quality checks included

  • records with unspecified codes (e.g. R99, X59, X84, Y09).
  • records with certain mechanisms and an intent of accident (e.g. W76 - accidental hanging and strangulation)


PRELIMINARY CODING

4 This section provides information on preliminary data for the 2006 and 2010 reference years.

5 The number of deaths coded to R99 (other ill-defined and unspecified causes of mortality) was higher in 2006 (930) than in 2010 (504). Similarly the number of deaths coded with unspecified mechanism (X59, X84, Y09) was higher in 2006 (384) than 2010 (93). Preliminary 2006 data was processed prior to the implementation of coding improvements.

6 The number of deaths with an undetermined intent was 0.1% for preliminary 2006 data (135) and 0.5% for 2010 preliminary data (680). Due to changes in coding rules for ICD-10 in 2007, processing of data up to and including the 2006 reference year assigned a finding of 'Undetermined intent' only where this was the official coronial finding. Other deaths where either intent was 'not known' or 'blank' on the NCIS record, were coded with an intent of 'accidental'.

Selected Causes of Death, Preliminary data - Australia - 2006 & 2010(a)
Graph: Selected Causes of Death, Preliminary data—Australia—2006 & 2010(a)



IMPACT OF REVISIONS

7 This section provides information on data movements for 2006 associated with the revisions process. Revisions of 2006 data has led to:
  • a reduction in the number of Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) by 610 deaths;
  • an increase of 244 deaths in Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99);
  • an increase of 257 deaths in External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98).

Table 1 - CAUSES OF DEATH REVISIONS (PRELIMINARY, FINAL), by ICD 10 chapter - 2006

Preliminary
Final
Change (preliminary to final)
Cause of death and ICD-10 code
no.
no.
no.
%

Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
1 960
1 969
9
0.5
Neoplasms (C00-D48)
39 753
39 770
17
0.0
Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (D50-D89)
497
495
-2
-0.4
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90)
5 138
5 158
20
0.4
Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
5 156
5 139
-17
-0.3
Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99)
4 903
4 928
25
0.5
Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
45 670
45 914
244
0.5
Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)
10 863
10 877
14
0.1
Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93)
4 502
4 534
32
0.7
Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99)
333
333
0
0.0
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)
1 076
1 081
5
0.5
Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99)
3 295
3 299
4
0.1
Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)
658
653
-5
-0.8
Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
547
553
6
1.1
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)
1 525
915
-610
-40.0
External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98)
7 840
8 097
257
3.3
All causes(a)
133 739
133 739
0
0.0

(a) Includes deaths coded to H00-H59, H60-H95 and O00-O99.


8 The following table shows the impact of the revisions process on 2006 data at the sub-chapter level with the following notable reductions:
  • Other ill-defined and unspecified causes of mortality (632 deaths);
  • Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors (278 deaths);
  • Other accidental threats to breathing (155 deaths).

9 and the following notable increases:
  • Intentional self-harm (319 deaths);
  • Event of undetermined intent (130 deaths);
  • Assault (101 deaths);
  • Car occupant injured in transport accident (83 deaths).

Table 2 - CAUSES OF DEATH REVISIONS (PRELIMINARY, FINAL), by ICD-10 selected causes - 2006

Change from prelim to final
Preliminary
Final
Cause of death and ICD-10 code
no
no.
no.
%

Sudden infant death syndrome (R95)
66
89
23
34.8
Other ill-defined and unspecified causes of mortality (R99)
1 131
499
-632
-55.9
Pedestrian injured in transport accident (V01-V09)
254
259
5
2.0
Pedal cyclist injured in transport accident (V10-V19)
37
40
3
8.1
Motorcycle rider injured in transport accident (V20-V29)
232
254
22
9.5
Car occupant injured in transport accident (V40-V49)
811
894
83
10.2
Occupant of pick-up truck or van injured in transport accident (V50-V59)
48
56
8
16.7
Occupant of heavy transport vehicle injured in transport accident (V60-V69)
36
49
13
36.1
Other land transport accidents (V80-V89)
152
144
-8
-5.3
Water transport accidents (V90-V94)
36
39
3
8.3
Air and space transport accidents (V95-V97)
36
46
10
27.8
Falls (W00-W19)
1 225
1 288
63
5.1
Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces (W20-W49)
182
119
-63
-34.6
Exposure to animate mechanical forces (W50-W64)
23
20
-3
-13.0
Accidental drowning and submersion (W65-W74)
212
209
-3
-1.4
Other accidental threats to breathing (W75-W84)
409
254
-155
-37.9
Exposure to electric current, radiation and extreme ambient air temperature and pressure (W85-W99)
20
22
2
10.0
Exposure to smoke, fire and flames (X00-X09)
71
68
-3
-4.2
Exposure to forces of nature (X30-X39)
47
50
3
6.4
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances (X40-X49)
701
704
3
0.4
Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors (X58-X59)
795
517
-278
-35.0
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84)(a)
1 799
2 118
319
17.7
Assault (X85-Y09)
155
256
101
65.2
Event of undetermined intent (Y10-Y34)
135
265
130
96.3
Drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use (Y40-Y59)
49
50
1
2.0
Surgical and other medical procedures as the cause of abnormal reaction of the patient, or of later complication, without mention of misadventure at the time of the procedure (Y83-Y84)
225
217
-8
-3.6
Sequelae of external causes of morbidity and mortality (Y85-Y89)
126
132
6
4.8

(a) Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to suicide. See Explanatory Notes 98-101.