The mortality (or death) rate increased nominally from 2016 to 2017 going from 844 to 849 deaths per 100,000. This probably is not earthshaking news but based on the overall crude rate, it has actually been increasing since 2009 as noted by the following graph.
Advances in medical care have brought down most cause (ICD10) classifications. However, there are several groups of codes that are pushing the mortality rate up. These include mental and behavioral disorders (“F” Codes), diseases of the nervous system (“G” codes), and external causes (“V to “Y codes). External causes, which include drug overdoses, have gone up nearly 8% in the past year and 24% since 2009, when the overall death rate resumed its climb. We examine these causes in my video blog.
