Is it common practice to write down on the death certificates the wrong reason for cause of death?

And if so, why do doctors do that?

This happen to my dad a few weeks ago and I'm just trying to understand.

Thanks in advance,
Scott

Can you explain a little more, Scott. What do you mean they wrote down the incorrect cause of death. Was it from an accident or natural causes?

Tick

No, this is a government document, and doctors do not put down a different cause.

If they got confused and put down something wrong you can merely go to the cornor office and see about having them investigate and correct it.

Scott, how did your dad die and what was put on the death certificate?

It reads… cause of death - Medullary failure. Was told by a diff. doctor that is kidney failure. Yes, he had organ failure because he died in hospice and he was in a coma.


My dad was 78, and had a list of medical problems, but he DID NOT have any cancer or kidney problems. On Dec 16, 2009 he had heartache, than a stroke which caused a huge hemorrhage to the brain. Long story short, he was hospitalized for three weeks and than the last 4 days of his life he spent in a coma in a hospice facility.

Medullary failure is cystic kidney disease, doctor was correct, and it is hereditary. Meaning with your dad it was genetic so someone else in his family had this problem s well.

Scotty, once the body starts to break down from a heart attack (I am assuming you mean that), and a stroke on top of that, other organs start to deteriorate. I think it was a matter of one or the other. I don't think they can put multiple reasons on the death certificate. I am sorry that you are upset with this, but I am sure they didn't mean anything by it.

Kidney or renal failure usually means diabetes, when cysts are involved, then that is the end of that organ, and nothing can be don to recuperate it.

Ms tick

Scotty, I have something else to add. I have been thinking. Possibly your dad had renal failure (from kidney disease) first and that prompted other body organs to close down on him. With end stage kidney disease, the kidneys can't perform the function of filtering blood any longer and septisism sets in, meaning that contaminated blood is recirculating throughout the body. This could have caused his heart attack, etc. and that is why medullary failure was put on the death certificate.

If you aren't happy with that, then you will have to take it up with the coroners office.

Tick

And it may be an issue of what each doctor considered to be the final cause. Often in hospice there may be a dozen causes or problems, Since they do normally do anything to determine cause, it is just the guess of the doctor who signs the death certificate based on his medical hisstory

Scotty, I am sorry for your loss. It is always difficult to lose a parent and even more so when something like this that you don't understand happens.

Tick and Chuck are both correct. A heart attack followed by stroke drastically hurts the body organs. When he went into the coma, his body was beginning to shut down - meaning that the organs just gradually stop working until the heart stops beating and the lungs stop functioning and death occurs. There were obviously many different things going on that could be "the cause of death," and Medullary Failure was just one of them.

Please try not to fret over this. If it would make you feel better, you could always talk with his physician and ask him to explain what caused your father's death.