Methodology

As all patients undergoing CoDe Review are HIV positive, giving HIV as underlying cause of death does not contribute much information, unless the patients death was closely related to an AIDS event or advanced disease from HIV.

If both reviewers classify a death as unknown (unclassifiable) it will queue up as pending discrepancy case. This is to give the reviewers a chance to reassess the case before it is presented to a specialist panel for review.

It is mandatory to state both direct and underlying cause of death AND both corresponding codes:

• You should preferably use category 1-19, and only if this is not possible category 20-30.
• Only in the few cases where you cannot state a specific or general cause of death even with a certainty level of 'possible' you should use codes 90-92  (unclassifiable).

The listed in section 5C-E on the Cause of Death Form should always be reconsidered by the reviewer!