Rare conditions

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Cause of death certification guide
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Reference period
Australia
Released
2/10/2024
Next release Unknown
First release

Certification of rare conditions

It is accepted that on occasion a medical practitioner will have responsibility for certifying a death that is considered a rare occurrence in Australia. To ensure high quality data, the ABS reviews all records that are considered to be of a rare or improbable nature in Australia. To assist this process, it is important that when certifying deaths of this nature that additional information be provided on the certificate to confirm that condition has been proven histologically or through other extensive medical testing. As an example, if the disease that caused death is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, then the addition of the term 'histologically proven' will ensure accurate code assignment. The list below, whilst not exhaustive, provides examples of the types of conditions that are considered to be rare or impossible in Australia.

  • Acute poliomyelitis          
  • Anthrax 
  • Botulism
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease            
  • Diphtheria           
  • Q fever
  • Rabies   
  • Smallpox              
  • Typhoid fever
  • Yellow fever               

The following example shows how a death due to a rare disease may be certified.        

Example of Medical Certificate of Cause of Death completed for a rare condition.

Example of a completed Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. The certificate contains 6 lines for completion separated into two parts. Part 1, line A for the disease or condition leading directly to death. Part 1 lines B, C, D and E for antecedent causes which are morbid conditions, if any, giving rise to the above cause, stating the underlying condition last. Part 2 of the certificate is a single line for other significant conditions contributing to the death but not directly related to the disease or condition causing it. For both Part 1 and Part 2 there is a column to record the approximate interval between onset and death for the conditions on each line. The certificate is filled out as follows: 

  • Part 1(a): Multiorgan failure. Approximate interval between onset and death: 2 days
  • Part 1(b): Bacterial infection. Approximate interval between onset and death: 7 days
  • Part 1(c): Immobility. Approximate interval between onset and death: 6 weeks
  • Part 1(d): Dementia. Approximate interval between onset and death: 2 months
  • Part 1(e): Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, histologically confirmed. Approximate interval between onset and death: 4 months
  • Part 2: Blank. Approximate interval between onset and death: Blank