The purpose of this practical is to introduce you to the use and limitations of mortality statistics and disease rates. You should understand how these statistics are obtained and know the most common causes of death at different ages. You should aim to be conversant with the following terms introduced here.
Medical certificate of cause of death; Parts I and II of the certificate; Death certificate; Underlying cause of death; International Classification of Disease (ICD) Code; The difference between numbers and rates; Crude mortality rate; Age and cause specific mortality rates; Age standardization and Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs); Incidence rates and prevalence rates.
Please complete the following questions:
1. Study the case history which follows and the specimen medical certificate of cause of death. Complete it and place the International Classification of Disease Code beside the one underlying cause of death.
