Cause of Death(ICD)

Field Length:  6

As specified in the SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual, page 207, enter the underlying cause of death as coded on the Death Certificate. Even when the code is believed to be in error, the entry as coded on the Death Certificate is to be used.

Code:   Underlying Cause of Death

0000    Patient alive at last contact

7777    State death certificate or listing not available

7797    State death certificate or listing available, but underlying death not coded.

All other cases: ICD-9 Underlying Cause of Death Code if date of death prior to January 1, 1999 or ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Code if date of death on or after January 1, 1999. Do not code this field from the medical record.  A list of all ICD-10 codes is available online at https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en.

Underlying cause of death codes usually have four digits. Some codes may have an optional fifth digit. The decimal point will already appear on the form and on the data entry screen.

Left justify if less than ICD-10 code is less than 4 digits and leave the 4th character blank.

In Kentucky, the state central registry will match all death certificates with the central database. A file of matched patient records will be generated for each Kentucky hospital. This file will automatically be loaded into CPDMS.net and will be used by each hospital to update that hospital's patients with date of death and cause of death from the death certificate.

It is not necessary to have a copy of the death certificate as long as the official code for the underlying cause of death is available. You may use the Cause of Death code obtained from a linkage with the National Death Index, or from an out-of-state data exchange cancer report.

If the death certificate is not available, do not attempt to code it; use code '777.7'.

For example: