Abstract: Abstract: Objective   To understanded the epidemiological characteristics and causes of the death of advanced schistosomiasis in Wuhan City for evidence to plan targeted measures to improve the quality of life of such patients. Methods   The data associated with the general demographic information, diagnosis, treatment and cause of death was collected and analyzed in the death of advanced schistosomiasis in Wuhan area from 2016 to 2020. Results In total, 168 deaths (94 males, 74 females) of advanced schistosomiasis were reported from 2016 to 2020 in Wuhan. There were 147 clinical diagnosed cases and 21 confirmed cases. 127 cases were associated with ascites, 41 with other types, including 39 with splenomegaly and 2 with colon thickening. The mean age at diagnosis was (61.25±11.94) years, and the mean age at death was (70.56±10.21) years. 164 patients had at least one treatment. The causes of death were involved in 128 cases died of digestive system disorders, including liver cirrhosis in 68, ascites in 21, liver cancer in 16, gastrointestinal bleeding in 14 and other digestive system tumors in 9; other causes of death were 40, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in 19, respiratory diseases in 2, other tumors in 4 and other conditions in 15. The difference was significant in disease duration among different types of diagnosed condition (Z=-3.06, P<0.05), in the age at diagnosis, the age at death and the disease duration among different clinical classifications (t=-5.33, t=5.11; Z=-3.97, all P<0.05) as well as in the disease duration and different causes of death (Z=-2.46, P<0.05). The disease duration was correlated with the age at diagnosis, patients with an earlier age at diagnosis had a longer disease duration (r=-0.463, P<0.05). Conclusion The lifetime of patients with advanced schistosomiasis in Wuhan City has been improved, yet advanced schistosomiasis complications are still the major health hazard and cause of death for such patients. The findings suggest that the policy of free lifesaving should be continuously adhered, and more attention to early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment should be paid for improving the quality of life of patients with advanced schistosomiasis.

Key words: Advanced schistosomiasis, Cause of death, Epidemiology, Wuhan City