JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Review
Unusual causes of death in Haitians residing in Miami. High prevalence of opportunistic infections.
Twenty-one (100%) Haitians and 42 (21.5%) of 192 native black Americans autopsied in a 33-month period at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, were included in this review. All autopsied materials were examined. Among the Haitians autopsied, infectious diseases accounted for 11 (52%) of 21 deaths. ⋯ Seven Haitian cases fulfilled the Centers for Disease Control case definition for the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). For comparison, autopsies of black Americans were chosen from conditions that would most likely predispose them to opportunistic infections. Among the autopsies on black Americans there were no cases of opportunistic infections or Kaposi's sarcoma that were considered to be consistent with the AIDS.