A description of the causes of death for all cases, aged one month to 14 years, admitted to the Pediatric and Surgical Departments in Makassed Hospital between 1986 and 1992.

It is noted that 63% of deaths occurred among children less than 3 years old. The total pediatric mortality rate for patients admitted to Pediatric and Surgical Departments is 17 deaths per 1000 admissions. The rate is 21.4 deaths per 1000 admissions for the Pediatric Department and 12 deaths per 1000 admissions for the Surgical department.

The leading causes of death are accidental pathology (31.3%) of deaths and infectious pathology (24.2%). Ninety-six of the 337 deaths that occurred during the study period were dead upon arrival.

Bull. Palest. Ch. Soc.1:1, 96-113, 1994, 17 pp.