Mechanisms and timing of deaths from cerebral infarction.

Clinicopathologic correlations were reviewed in 100 cases of recent cerebral infarctions in the internal carotid artery distribution. The most frequent cause of death was transtentorial herniation, followed in frequency by pneumonia, cardiac causes, and pulmonary embolism. Thirty-six percent of all patients and 47% of those with transtentorial herniation died within 48 hours of cerebral infarction. Of the treatable extracerebral causes of death determined at autopsy, only 34% were recorded premortem in the clinician's death summary.