Which line of death certificate represents the major antecedent cause of death

International death certificate The basis of mortality data is death certificate. For ensuring national and international comparability, it is necessary to have a uniform and standardized system of recording and classifying deaths. For this purpose, WHO has recommended international death certificate, Consist of four lines: Line Ia: Disease or condition directly leading to death Line Ib: Antecedent/underlying cause Line Ic: Main antecedent/underlying cause Line II: Other significant conditions contributing to death but not related to disease/condition causing it Example of a death cerficate: Line la: Renal failure. Line lb: Diabetic nephropathy. Line Ic: Diabetes mellitus. Line II: Hypertension Concept of underlying cause, Line Ic is the most important line in death certificate, thus also known as ‘Essence of Death Cerficate’