Death Data
Definition: A pregnancy-associated death is defined as a death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy regardless of the outcome of the pregnancy or the cause of death.
Data Source: Death (mortality) data are gathered from the Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Surveillance System at the Virginia Department of Health. Deaths are reported by the Virginia city or county where the decedent normally resided at the time of death, occurring in Virginia. Deaths to residents outside of Virginia are not included.
Manner of Death: The general category of the circumstances of the event which causes the death. The categories are accident, homicide, natural, suicide, and undetermined.
Causes of Death: The disease, injury, or poison that results in a physiological derangement or biochemical disturbance that is incompatible with life. The result of post-mortem examination, including autopsy and toxicological findings, combined with information about the medical history of the decedent, serves to establish the cause of death.
Manner and Cause of Death Definitions:
- Homicide: A manner of death indicating that the decedent was killed by another person.
- Suicide: A manner of death indicating that the decedent intentionally cause their own death.
- Motor vehicle accident (MVA): A death resulting from a motor vehicle accident.
- Hemorrhage: A death resulting from the loss of blood from a damaged blood vessel. It can be external (visible) or internal (hidden).
- Pulmonary embolism: A death resulting from a blockage in a lung artery, usually caused by a blood clot that has traveled from another part of the body.
- Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE): A death resulting from amniotic fluid enters the blood stream of the mother, triggering a serious reaction which results in cardiorespiratory collapse and massive bleeding.
- Infection: A death resulting from a viral, bacterial, or other infection EXCEPT for COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS.
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH): A death resulting from a condition that develops during pregnancy, characterized by high blood pressure without pre-existing hypertension.
- Cancer: A death resulting from a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
- Cardiac-Related: A death resulting from diseases and disorders that affect the heart and its circulatory system, except cardiomyopathy or pregnancy-induced hypertension.
- Exacerbation of chronic disease: A death resulting from the exacerbation of a chronic disease that was present prior to pregnancy.
- Ectopic pregnancy: A death resulting from a pregnancy in which the fetus develops outside the uterus, typically in a fallopian tube.
- Disorders of the central nervous system (CNS): A death resulting from neurological disorders that affect the structure or function of the brain or spinal cord.
- Accidental overdose (OD): A death resulting from the unintentional poisoning of a substance (legal or illegal) or medication (prescription and over-the-counter).
- Cardiomyopathy: A death resulting from a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle (myocardium). These diseases cause the heart muscle to become weakened, thickened, or scarred, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood effectively.
- AIDS: death occurring as a result of the most advanced stage of HIV infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), where the body's immune system is severely compromised
- COVID-19: A death resulting from COVID-19
- Other: Any other known cause of death that is not included in the list above.
- Undetermined: The cause of death could not be determined following a Medical Examiner investigation.
Ethnicity and Race: Only two ethnic classes are recognized in the data, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic, where the term Hispanic refers to persons who can trace their ancestry in some degree to the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and the nations of Portugal and Spain. The term Latino is also used for Hispanic. Thus, a Hispanic person may be of any race. Presented race categories are based on the race methods and categories set forth by the U.S. Census Populations with Single Race Categories. The race is reported as race of the decedent at death.
Other: Data are produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at that point of time. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. Additionally, not all data elements are reported at the source. Please see Virginia Code §32.1 for information on data mandated to be conveyed by the patient and/or facility. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the data. Unknown/Unreported variables were removed from the tables. Counts lower than 20 and their associated rates should be interpreted with caution.
Birth Data
Data Source: Birth (natality) data are gathered from the Vital Event Statistics Program at the Virginia Department of Health. Live births are reported by the Virginia city or county where the mother normally resided at the time of birth, regardless of where the birth occurred. Learn more about birth certificate data at the National Center for Health Statistics website.
Ethnicity and Race: Only two ethnic classes are recognized in the data, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic, where the term Hispanic refers to persons who can trace their ancestry in some degree to the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and the nations of Portugal and Spain. The term Latino is also used for Hispanic. Thus, a Hispanic person may be of any race. Presented race categories are based on the race methods and categories set forth by the U.S. Census Populations with Single Race Categories. The race is reported as race of the decedent at death.
Other: Data are produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at that point of time. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. Additionally, not all data elements are reported at the source. Please see Virginia Code §32.1 for information on data mandated to be conveyed by the patient and/or facility. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the data. Unknown/Unreported variables were removed from the tables. Counts lower than 20 and their associated rates should be interpreted with caution.
