Mortality and causes of death among Danish medical doctors 1973-1992.

Background: To examine the mortality pattern of Danish doctors for the period 1973-1992.

Methods: A historical prospective cohort study based on the membership register of the Danish Medical Association. The study population consisted of 21,943 medical doctors, 6012 of whom were women.

[Mortality and cause of death among Danish physicians 1973-1992].

This study examines mortality rates of Danish doctors and describes pattern and causes of death for the period 1973-1992. The study comprises 21,943 medical doctors, 6012 of whom were women. At the end of 1992 there were 2387 recorded deaths.

[The national patient registry. Evaluation of data quality].

The Danish National Patient Register, which includes information on all patients admitted to hospitals, has been evaluated as concerns the quality of the data included. The material examined consisted of a representative sample of 1094 patients from departments all over the country (gynaecology and obstetrics, medicine, surgery and paediatrics). Recoding of data, clinical as well as administrative, based on copies of the case records from the hospitals was carried out by two clinically working physicians (registrars).

[Deaths due to paracetamol poisoning in Denmark 1979-1992].

A significant relationship between the amount of paracetamol (acetaminophen) sold in Denmark after the drug became available on an over-the counter basis in 1984 and an increase in paracetamol (acetaminophen) related deaths has been demonstrated.