INTRODUCTION
Multiple causes of death include all causes and conditions reported on the death certificate (i.e. both underlying and associated causes; see Glossary for further details). Deaths due to External causes are those which occur as a result of accidents, poisonings and/or violence. They are classified according to the event, leading to the fatal injury, such as an accidental fall. Multiple cause data for External causes include the nature of injury or poisoning, as well as any other causes reported on the death certificate.
Number of Multiple Causes
For the 133,739 deaths registered in Australia in 2006, there were 424,796 causes mentioned, giving a mean of 3.2 causes per death. In 18% of all deaths, only one cause was reported, while 37% of deaths were reported with three or more causes. The mean number of causes reported per death varies with age, sex and underlying cause of death.
Selected Multiple Causes
In 2006, Cancers represented 29% of all underlying causes of death. For multiple causes, cancer accounted for 23% of all causes reported in 2006, and contributed to 33% of all deaths as an underlying or multiple cause.
A further 17% of all deaths had Ischaemic heart diseases as the underlying cause, but it was found to contribute to 28% of all deaths as either an underlying or multiple cause.
The following table lists selected causes of death, both underlying and associated causes, appearing on death certificates for deaths registered in 2006.
3.1 Selected Multiple Causes of Death(a) - 2006 |
|  |
| Underlying Cause | Multiple Cause | | |
| Cause of death and ICD code | Number of deaths | % of total deaths | Number of deaths | % of total deaths | Mean no. of causes | |
| |
| All Causes | 133 739 | - | 133 739 | - | 3.2 | |
| Malignant cancers (C00-D48) | 38 721 | 29.0 | 44 054 | 32.9 | 2.5 | |
| Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) include angina, heart attacks, blocked arteries of the heart | 22 983 | 17.2 | 37 658 | 28.2 | 3.5 | |
| Strokes (I60-I69) | 11 465 | 8.6 | 20 491 | 15.3 | 3.1 | |
| Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30) | 6 542 | 4.9 | 17 165 | 12.8 | 3.0 | |
| Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) includes diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema | 5 443 | 4.1 | 13 687 | 10.2 | 3.6 | |
| Diabetes (E10-E14) | 3 662 | 2.7 | 12 832 | 9.6 | 4.3 | |
| Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39) | 3 192 | 2.4 | 17 647 | 13.2 | 3.8 | |
| Heart failure (I50, I51)) | 2 892 | 2.2 | 19 549 | 14.6 | 3.1 | |
| Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18) | 2 715 | 2.0 | 17 369 | 13.0 | 2.5 | |
| Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15) | 1 495 | 1.1 | 17 296 | 12.9 | 4.5 | |
| Suicides (X60-X84)(b) | 1 799 | 1.3 | 1 809 | 1.4 | 2.6 | |
| Land transport accidents (V01-V89) | 1 580 | 1.2 | 1 626 | 1.2 | 2.8 | |
| |
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| (a) Number of deaths and percentages may add to more than totals because a death certificate can report more than one multiple cause. |
| (b) Care should be taken in interpreting numbers of suicide deaths due to limitations in the data. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 57-58 and 74-75. |
Relationships between Multiple Causes
Cancer was identified as the underlying cause for 38,721 deaths. In 36% of cases, cancers were reported alone and was the least likely of the selected causes to be reported with other associated causes.
In contrast, Diabetes was reported alone as the underlying cause in only 1% of the 3,662 deaths attributed to this cause. It was reported more frequently with the associated causes of Ischaemic heart diseases including angina, heart attacks and blocked arteries of the heart (53%) and Hypertensive diseases (30%).
The following table illustrates relationships between the various causes of death in 2006.
3.2 Selected Underlying Causes with Associated Cause(a) - 2006 |
| |
| SELECTED UNDERLYING CAUSE | REPORTED WITH SELECTED ASSOCIATED CAUSE(b) | |
| Total Deaths | Reported alone | Cancers (C00-D48) | Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) (c) | Strokes (I60-I69) | Dementia & Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30) | Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) (d) | Diabetes (E10-E14) | Diseases of the kidney & urinary system (N00-N39) | Heart failure (I50-I51) | Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18) | Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15) | |
| Cause of death and ICD code | no. | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| |
| All Causes | 133 739 | 18.4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Cancers (C00-D48) | 38 721 | 36.2 | - | 6.6 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 7.3 | |
| Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) (c) | 22 983 | 10.3 | 8.4 | - | 12.3 | 9.9 | 19.8 | 52.6 | 26.6 | 0.9 | 18.0 | 1.5 | |
| Strokes (I60-I69) | 11 465 | 13.6 | 3.9 | 9.7 | - | 10.9 | 5.4 | 21.8 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 1.8 | 8.3 | |
| Dementia & Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30) | 6 542 | 12.8 | 2.8 | 10.5 | 16.7 | - | 8.2 | 13.7 | 14.3 | 12.1 | 8.7 | 19.3 | |
| Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)(d) | 5 443 | 7.0 | 6.2 | 10.4 | 4.0 | 2.9 | - | 6.3 | 6.3 | 9.7 | 1.1 | 7.4 | |
| Diabetes (E10-E14) | 3 662 | 1.0 | 5.8 | 10.8 | 8.1 | 6.5 | 7.3 | - | 9.2 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 10.4 | |
| Diseases of the kidney & urinary system (N00-N39) | 3 192 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 13.0 | 5.7 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 29.3 | - | 20.8 | 12.9 | 35.7 | |
| Heart failure (I50-I51) | 2 892 | 13.3 | 3.9 | 27.5 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 17.2 | 21.8 | 23.2 | - | 11.5 | 40.6 | |
| Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18) | 2 715 | 27.2 | 7.4 | 5.4 | 13.3 | 35.6 | 33.5 | 8.0 | 11.1 | 19.6 | - | 8.6 | |
| Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15) | 1 495 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 20.7 | 28.2 | 10.3 | 8.7 | 30.3 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 5.7 | - | |
| |
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| (a) This table presents data for selected causes only. Therefore numbers of deaths do not add to total deaths. |
| (b) Percentages may add to more than 100% because a death certificate can report more than one multiple cause. |
| (c) Includes angina, heart attacks, and blocked arteries of the heart. |
| (d) Includes asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. |
External Causes
In 2006, there were 7,840 deaths due to External causes, with a mean of 3.4 causes coded for each of these deaths.
Transport accidents accounted for 23% of all injuries due to External causes, with 42% of these injuries being to the head or thorax. Intentional self-harm1 accounted for 22% of total injuries due to External causes, and of these, Asphyixiation was the most common injury (41%).
1 Care should be taken in interpreting numbers of suicide deaths due to limitations in the data. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 57-58 and 74-75.
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