first i'm very sorry to hear of your loss. my sympathy to you and your family. as to your question it sounds like you're asking about the "manner of death" listed on the death certificate. in general a death certificate has a section called "cause of death " which lists the direct event that led to a person's death such as "myocardial infarction" (heart attack). the death certificate usually also has a section called "manner of death " which often consists of checkboxes labeled "natural " "accident " "homicide " "suicide " "undetermined " etc. generally speaking a perforated bowel would be considered a "natural" death. a "natural" death usually is one that arises from a disease process or aging. keep in mind i am not a physician or lawyer. i'm just offering information based on my best knowledge of death certificates. if you have questions about your mother-in-law's death certificate you can consult the physician who certified the death certificate. his or her name should be listed. the centers for disease control (cdc) has a page on its website about how to fill out a death certificate. i am unable to link to it here but a search of their site should reveal it. again i'm very sorry for your loss.
is a perforated bowl death an accidental death? . my motherinlaw was admitted for stomach pain. intestinal block was found. surgery to remove block 4 days inpatient recovery then home. 2 days later returned with intense pain. small intestine collapsed and black. never wakes after sugery. cause of death stated as perforated bowl. is this an accidential death?