Sepsis-associated mortality in England: an analysis of multiple cause of death data from 2001 to 2010.

Objectives: To quantify mortality associated with sepsis in the whole population of England.

Design: Descriptive statistics of multiple cause of death data.

Setting: England between 2001 and 2010.

Burden of mortality associated with autoimmune diseases among females in the United Kingdom.

Objectives: We estimated the collective burden of mortality from autoimmune diseases among females in the United Kingdom and the effects of death certificate coding changes on this estimate.

Methods: We analyzed 1993-2003 England and Wales death certificate data for 3,150,267 females aged 1 year or older. We identified death certificates that listed autoimmune conditions as underlying or contributory causes of death.

Effect of withdrawal of co-proxamol on prescribing and deaths from drug poisoning in England and Wales: time series analysis.

Objective: To assess the effect of the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines' announcement in January 2005 of withdrawal of co-proxamol on analgesic prescribing and poisoning mortality.

Design: Interrupted time series analysis for 1998-2007.

Setting: England and Wales.

Death certification following MRSA bacteraemia, England, 2004-05.

This study examined factors affecting whether or not meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is recorded on the death certificate of individuals who died following a laboratory confirmed MRSA bacteraemia and compared this with another organism, Streptococcus pneumoniae. The study included all patients with a positive MRSA or S. pneumoniae bacteraemia reported to the Health Protection Agency between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2005 and linked to a death registered up to 31 March 2006.

Alcohol-related and hepatocellular cancer deaths by country of birth in England and Wales: analysis of mortality and census data.

Background: The incidence of and mortality from alcohol-related conditions, liver disease and hepatocellular cancer (HCC) are increasing in the UK. We compared mortality rates by country of birth to explore potential inequalities and inform clinical and preventive care.

Design: Analysis of mortality for people aged 20 years and over using the 2001 Census data and death data from 1999 and 2001-2003.

Standardised mortality ratios--the effect of smoothing ward-level results.

Geographical indicators of mortality provide one of the most important means of assessing the health of populations and are particularly effective in identifying inequalities in health. Geographical mortality indicators have regularly been produced by the Office for National Statistics, but not normally for areas smaller than local authorities. In order to allow variations in mortality within local authorities to be examined, in 2006 ONS published Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) for wards in England and Wales, based on deaths in 1999-2003.

Geographical variations in deaths related to drug misuse in England and Wales, 1993-2006.

Drug misuse is a significant public health issue in England and Wales. This article examines geographical variations in drug misuse mortality in England and Wales over the period 1993 t 2006. Geographical variations in deaths related to drug misuse have generally persisted over this period, one of substantial change in these deaths (with a peak in 2001 and numbers in 2006 being almost double those in 1993), although there were some significant changes to the regional level pattern.

Death toll exceeded 70,000 in Europe during the summer of 2003.

Daily numbers of deaths at a regional level were collected in 16 European countries. Summer mortality was analyzed for the reference period 1998-2002 and for 2003. More than 70,000 additional deaths occurred in Europe during the summer 2003.

Alcohol-related deaths by occupation, England and Wales, 2001-05.

This article continues a long tradition of examining alcohol-related deaths by occupation in England and Wales. Results are presented for men and women which show those occupations with the highest and lowest indicators of alcohol-related mortality in 2001-05. For both sexes, many of the occupations with the highest alcohol-related mortality were found among those working in the drinks industry, including publicans and bar staff.

Tends in avoidable mortality in England and Wales, 1993-2005.

Avoidable mortality is a major public health concern but there has been little consensus among researchers on how it should be defined and reported. In this article two definitions of avoidable mortality are considered. These are used to present trends in avoidable deaths in England and Wales from 1993 to 2005, using two statistical indicators of mortality.

Interrupted time-series analysis of regulations to reduce paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning.

Background: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning is the leading cause of acute liver failure in Great Britain and the United States. Successful interventions to reduced harm from paracetamol poisoning are needed. To achieve this, the government of the United Kingdom introduced legislation in 1998 limiting the pack size of paracetamol sold in shops.

Trends and geographical variations in alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom, 1991-2004.

Alcohol-related deaths in the UK increased substantially between 1991 and 2004, from 4144 to 8221. Overall rates increased in all parts of the UK. There were, however, large differences in rates between countries and regions.

Mortality by deprivation and cause of death in England and Wales, 1999-2003.

The relationship between deprivation and mortality is long established and many studies report higher death rates in more deprived areas. This article examines recent patterns of mortality and deprivation and illustrates these for leading causes of death. Results are considered by age group, sex and region.

Trends in injury and poisoning mortality using the ICE on injury statistics matrix, England and Wales, 1979-2004.

This article shows trends in injury and poisoning mortality in England and Wales using a matrix of mechanism (e.g. fall, fire) by intent (e.

Association between availability of heroin and methadone and fatal poisoning in England and Wales 1993-2004.

Background: The UK heroin market is the biggest in Europe and approximately 70% of heroin deaths are due to fatal poisoning. Methadone treatment for heroin addiction in the UK, the 'British system', is unique as it is largely provided by General Practitioners.

Methods: The Office for National Statistics provided data on deaths, the Home Office provided law enforcement data on drug seizures and the Department of Health data on prescriptions.

Trends in premature mortality in England and Wales, 1950-2004.

Premature mortality is a major public health concern but there has been little consensus among researchers on how it should be defined and reported. In this article four means of measuring early deaths are considered using four different age thresholds to define prematurity. Using these four indicators, trends in premature mortality are reported for England and Wales from 1950 to 2004.

Trends in deaths related to drug misuse in England and Wales, 1993-2004.

In this article we report trends in deaths related to drug misuse in England and Wales from 1993 to 2004, looking particularly at the period between 1999 and 2004, for which there was a Government target to reduce these deaths by 20 per cent. Although there was an overall decline in deaths related to drug misuse between 1999 and 2004, the percentage reduction, at 9 per cent, was less than the Government target. There was an increase in deaths between 2003 and 2004, largely accounted for by deaths involving heroin/methadone and morphine.

Trends in mortality from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and dementia, England and Wales, 1979-2004.

In this article we present trends in mortality from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and dementia in England and Wales from 1979 to 2004. We describe the impact of mortality coding changes on the underlying cause of death, particularly the introduction of ICD-10 in 2001. We present rates for all mentions of the conditions on death certificates to interpret trends better.