What is the causes of death section on a death certificate?

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The causes of death section defines the immediate, underlying and secondary causes of death, as well as manner of death. The public health community uses this information for evaluating health issues, while the family uses it for settling the decedent's estate. Lawyers use the information for possible legal proceedings.

Immediate Cause

This is the final link (final disease or condition) in the chain of events leading to death (for example, an immediate cause might be acute renal failure). The immediate cause appears in the first line of Part I in the "Cause of Death" section.

Underlying Cause

The underlying cause is the disease or injury that initiates a chain of events, brief or prolonged, which leads to death. These events may take seconds (such as a gunshot wound) or years (complications of disease). These are listed in the lines underneath the immediate cause of death.

Approximate Interval

The approximate interval column, on the top right of the "Cause of Death" section, indicates the approximate time intervals for the duration of the immediate and underlying cause (or causes).

Secondary Cause

The secondary cause is any contributory cause not related to the primary cause of death but substantially contributory to the person's demise (for example, chronic alcoholism). This is listed under Part II.

Manner of Death

Manners of death are classified as natural, accident, suicide, homicide or undetermined ("Pending Investigation" or "Could not be determined"). Natural is due to natural causes, accident for injury-caused death, suicide for self-inflicted death, homicide for death resulting from the act of another person, and undetermined indicates a higher standard for death certification cannot be achieved.

Autopsy

This information states whether or not an autopsy was performed, and if one was, if the results were available for completion of the cause of death section.

Source:

U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services: Instructions for Completing the Cause of Death Section of the Death Certificate

National Association of Medical Examiners: Writing Cause of Death Statements-Basic Principles

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What is the causes of death section on a death certificate?

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