Natural Deaths

Nearly fifty percent (49.5) of Medical Examiner cases investigated in 1992 proved to be natural in manner. The majority were either unattended by a physician or sudden, unexpected deaths in persons believed to be previously healthy.

Table 6 illustrates by cause the number of natural deaths investigated by the Medical Examiner System, compared to all natural deaths reported to North Carolina's Vital Records System. The State's Medical Examiners investigate a large percentage of deaths involving alcohol and "ill- defined conditions," and all cases of sudden infant death syndrome.

Class	M.E. Cases	All Deaths*	Percent M.E.
All Natural Causes	4109	55585	7.4
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (001-139)	63	1593	4.0
Neoplasms (140-239)	104	14185	0.7
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Disease / Immunity Disorders (240-279)	77	1916	4.0
Diabetes Mellitus (250)	56	1428	3.9
Mental Disorders (290-319)	173	1124	15.4
Alcohol Psychoses (291)	6	25	24.0
Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (303)	160	224	71.4
Diseases of the Nervous System and Sense Organs (320-389)	26	1127	2.3
Diseases of the Circulatory System (390-459)	2982	25267	11.8
Coronary Artherosclerosis (414.0)	436	2273	19.2
Diseases of the Respiratory System (460-519)	196	5121	3.8
Pneumonia and Influenza (480-487)	87	1914	4.5
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease / Allied Conditions (490-496)	80	2408	3.3
Disease of the Digestive System (520-579)	111	2148	5.2
Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis (571)	36	746	4.8
Congenital Anomalies (740-759)	47	336	14.0
Certain Conditions Originatng in the Perinatal Period (760-779)	19	542	3.5
Symptoms, Signs, and Ill-Defined Conditions (780-799)	254	498	51.0
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (798.0)	136	124	109.7

*Limited to deaths among North Carolina residents.