Objective:To find the clinical features and to supply the preventive and therapeutic methods.Methods:The death causes of the elderly in-patient in urban and outskirt hospitals between1989-1998 were surveyed and analyzed retrospectively.Results:Of the death causes in the elderly in-patients according to systems

respiratory systemic diseases ranked in the first

which accounted for 1.56%

and then the other death causes ranking in order were gastrointestinal disease

nerve system disease

cardiovascular disease

accidental and toxic damage etc.The death causes according to types ranked in order as follows

the first one was malignant tumor

its mortalityrate was 1.22% in the elderly in-patient group (of all malignant tumors

the mortality of primary lung cancer

liver cancer and gastric cancer was 0.40%

0.12% and 0.12% respectively).After that the death causes ranking in order were cerebral vascular disease

chronic bronchitis and emphysema

coronary heart disease

pulmonary heart disease

diabetes mellitus

hepatic cirrhosis

essential hypertension etc.Conclusion:It is of importance for the aged to take preventive measures as to do routine physical examination to detect and prevent risk factors of some diseases and change the improper living habits.