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Fatal accidents among Danes with multiple sclerosis

National Institute of Public Health, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1399 Copenhagen K, Denmark, The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Rigshospitalet 7013, Tagensvej 20, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark, hbh{at}niph.dk

Thomas Hansen

National Institute of Public Health, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1399 Copenhagen K, Denmark, The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Rigshospitalet 7013, Tagensvej 20, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

Nils Koch-Henriksen

The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Rigshospitalet 7013, Tagensvej 20, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark, Department of Neurology, Aalborg Hospital North, DK-9100 Aalborg, Denmark

Egon Stenager

The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Rigshospitalet 7013, Tagensvej 20, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark, MS Clinic (Sønderborg, Vejle, Esbjerg) and Department of Neurology, Sydvang, Sønderborg Sygehus, DK-6400 Sønderborg, Denmark

We compared the rate of fatal accidents among Danes with multiple sclerosis (MS) with that of the general population. The study was based on linkage of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry to the Cause of Death Registry and covered all 10 174 persons in whom MS was diagnosed during the period 1953-1996. The end of follow-up was 1 January 1999. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for various types of fatal accidents. A total of 76 persons (48 men and 28 women) died from accidents, whereas the expected number of fatalities from such causes was 55.7 (31.4 men and 24.3 women). Thus, the risk for death from accidents among persons with MS was 37% higher than that of the general population (SMR=1.37). We found no significant excess risk for fatal road accidents (SMR=0.80). The risk for falls was elevated (SMR=1.29) but not statistically significantly so. The risks were particularly high for deaths from burns (SMR=8.90) and suffocation (SMR=5.57). We conclude that persons with MS are more prone to fatal accidents than the general population. The excess risk is due not to traffic accidents but to burns and suffocation.

Key Words: cause of death • Denmark • epidemiology • fatal accident • multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 12, No. 3, 329-332 (2006)
DOI: 10.1191/135248506ms1280oa


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