ILL DEFINED CAUSES (R00-R99)
Ill-defined causes (R00-R99) accounted for 1,045 deaths registered in Australia in 2009. This represented 0.7% of all registered deaths.
Deaths due to Other ill-defined and unspecified cause of mortality (R99) accounted for 649 deaths, or 62.1% of all deaths due to ill-defined causes. The number of deaths coded to ill-defined causes may be affected by the number of open coronial cases remaining on the National Coroners Information System (NCIS) at the end of the ABS processing period, as the majority of open cases for which no information was available at the end of processing have been coded to Other ill-defined and unspecified causes (R99). 2009 coroner certified deaths are subject to a revisions process. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 28-32.
In 2009, there were 78 deaths whose cause was identified as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (R95). In processing causes of death, the ABS will only code a death to SIDS if specifically mentioned on the death certificate. Open coronial cases could potentially include cases where the cause of death may be determined as SIDS when closed. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 48-60.
For the past 10 years, typically more males have died from SIDS than females. This trend continued in 2009, with 41 male deaths compared to 37 female deaths. The majority of these deaths occurred in the period between 28 days and 1 year of age, with 73 (93.6%) infants in this age range with SIDS as the underlying cause of death in 2009.
Quality Declaration 
Print Page
Print All