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. 2015 May 14;12:E75. doi: 10.5888/pcd12.140395

This map is of the 50 United States plus the District of Columbia, color-coded by the most distinctive causes of death for each state. Twenty-three different causes of death were identified. The most common was “other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections,” seen in 6 states (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin).

The most distinctive cause of death (defined as the location quotient) for each state and the District of Columbia, 2001–2010. The map shows the cause of death from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), List of 113 Selected Causes of Death with the highest age-adjusted mortality rate ratio in each state. The causes are listed in the legend in the order of disease classification in ICD-10. This map highlights nonstandard cause-of-death certification practices within and between states that can potentially be addressed through education and training.