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Death certificate

official, legal document and vital record, signed by a licensed physician or other designated authority, that includes cause of death, decedent's name, sex, place of residence, date of death; other information, e.g., birth date, birth place, occupation may be included; the immediate cause of death is recorded on the first line of the certificate, followed by the condition(s) giving rise to this, with the underlying cause on the last line; the underlying cause is coded and tabulated in official publications of mortality.