Abstract
Background: Diagnosis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) may not always be made appropriately.
Objective: To examine the accuracy of clinical diagnosis of sudden infant death and the effects of autopsy or histological examination.
Subjects: Twenty-one patients aged less than 2 years old with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival at our critical care center.
Methods: Data from medical records, death certificates and postmortem certificates, clinical diagnosis, post-macroscopic autopsy diagnosis, and histological findings were examined retrospectively.
Results: Among 15 subjects aged less than 1 year old, 14 died, including 11 (78.6%) in whom an autopsy was performed. Clinical diagnosis was difficult in 9 subjects, but abnormal findings were confirmed in 7 subjects by autopsy and histological examination. As a result, only 2 subjects were given a final diagnosis of SIDS. Of the 6 subjects aged over 1 year old, autopsy was carried out for 2 patients. One patient was diagnosed with SIDS.
Discussion: Only 3 of 21 subjects receiving a final diagnosis of SIDS. New findings were obtained in 7 of 13 subjects who underwent an autopsy, suggesting that an autopsy is necessary.
Conclusion: An autopsy should be performed in a case of sudden infant death that has no clear cause.
