Question
Untitled item
S6W-04660 · Written Question · lodged by Baillie, Jackie
Lodged on
24 Nov 2021Heard / answered on
24 Dec 2021To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it does not keep a record of deaths from deep vein thrombosis.
The answer
Causes of death in Scotland are recorded by National Records of Scotland (NRS). The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) system, which is used in the UK to classify deaths, does not allow deep venous thrombosis to be separated from phlebitis (inflammation of a vein).
Figures from NRS are provided below, for which deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been taken to refer to thrombosis of the deep veins of the leg. Deaths from DVT frequently occur from complications of the DVT, principally pulmonary embolism, so deaths from pulmonary embolism have been included in these figures. As mentioned above the ICD-10 does not allow DVT to be separated from phlebitis, so these figures may include a small number of deaths due to phlebitis.
Deaths attributed to deep vein thrombosis (DVT)* registered in Scotland, 2014 to 2020
Year in which death was registered
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
All Scotland
338
356
318
360
322
320
385
* deaths for which one of the following ICD-10 codes was allocated for the underlying cause of the death:I26 - Pulmonary embolismI80.1 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of femoral veinI80.2 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremitiesI80.3 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of lower extremities, unspecifiedI80.9 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of unspecified siteO22.3 - Deep phlebothrombosis in pregnancyO87.1 - Deep phlebothrombosis in the puerperiumO88.2 - Obstetric blood-clot embolism
Figures from NRS are provided below, for which deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been taken to refer to thrombosis of the deep veins of the leg. Deaths from DVT frequently occur from complications of the DVT, principally pulmonary embolism, so deaths from pulmonary embolism have been included in these figures. As mentioned above the ICD-10 does not allow DVT to be separated from phlebitis, so these figures may include a small number of deaths due to phlebitis.
Deaths attributed to deep vein thrombosis (DVT)* registered in Scotland, 2014 to 2020
Year in which death was registered
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
All Scotland
338
356
318
360
322
320
385
* deaths for which one of the following ICD-10 codes was allocated for the underlying cause of the death:I26 - Pulmonary embolismI80.1 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of femoral veinI80.2 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremitiesI80.3 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of lower extremities, unspecifiedI80.9 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of unspecified siteO22.3 - Deep phlebothrombosis in pregnancyO87.1 - Deep phlebothrombosis in the puerperiumO88.2 - Obstetric blood-clot embolism
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 Dec 2021.