A dear friend passed from cancer but because their heart stopped, the diagnosis of cardiac arrest was the only listed COD. That made me very upset. The family health history was incomplete according to the death certificate. How do MEs get away with incomplete CODs?
Anyone who dies while having cancer it should absolutely be listed as a cause , even if seen as contributing cause.
Depends on who fills it out. In an emergency room or hospital not familiar with patient they’re going to list what immediately ended a person’s life. Without medical records or documentation of prior illness it can’t be considered.
With cancer patients in the ER, next of kin or patient advocate is there to speak with the attending docs/hospitalists & medical team. Something gets lost in the communication. Too much in a hurry? One needs to take a nurse aside and specify that proper details get to the ME. If not amend the COD.