Cause of death classification is not as straightforward as you all, so far, might think.
Classifying for statistical purposes the cause of death requires an understanding of the International classification of death, disease and injury and the concept of a the 'morbid sequence'. Death certificates often record a number of 'contributing causes' (up to nine I recall) which can be difficult for those remote from the process to comprehend. For example if you are in hospital and being treated for chronic heart disease but for some reason panic, fall out of bed and bang your head then die; what was the cause of death? Similarly if you are standing in a pub, get rat ***** 'run outside to catch the last bus, slip on the ice and fall under one of Edinburgh's forthcoming trams and get squashed, what was the cause of death. The 'morbid sequence' approach to classification might just, for example, in the first example assume that if you had not been hospitalised with the debilitating heart disease and stressed you would not have fallen out of bed and banged your head to death. In the second the logic might assume that if you had not been rat ***** you might not have ran out of the pub and slipped on the ice and fell under the tram. The underlying cause of death might, therefore, be something that is not understood, ie attributed to the heart disease not the fractured skull, and alcohol intoxication not the so far mythical tram.
My recollection of the 'rules' from many years ago is that the 'underlying cause' which might be the start of the 'morbid sequence' will be reported in the main tabulations of death as the cause of death. More interesting, if you are inclined, is to look at the statistics which cross classify the various causes listed on the death certificate. Then, what might come out of an autopsy, which can often further alter the causes of death listed on the certificate issued at the time of death and the impact that has on the published statistics, is another matter.
The best certificate I ever encountered involved amongst other things a wooden stool, a piano wire, a rubber mask and a bottle of Brandy. Now then, lets guess the cause of death.
