The Medical Examiner and Coroner Systems with Comparisons and Evaluations

2012 ◽  
pp. 50-55
Keyword(s):  
Medical Examiner

Child and Adolescent Suicide Deaths in New Mexico, 1990-1994

Crisis ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
DD Werenko ◽  
LM Olson ◽  
L Fullerton-Gleason ◽  
AW Lynch ◽  
RE Zumwalt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Cause Of Death ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Adolescent Suicide ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Youth Activity

The suicide death rate in New Mexico is consistently higher than the national rate. Among adolescents, suicide is the third leading cause of death nationally, but in New Mexico it is the second leading cause of death. This study describes the pattern of adolescent suicide deaths in New Mexico. We conducted a retrospective review of all medical examiner autopsies for adolescent suicides (ages 20 years and younger) in New Mexico from 1990-1994. Records were reviewed for demographics and possible contributing factors such as depression, previous attempts, and alcohol and drug use. We identified 184 suicide deaths among children and adolescents ages 9-20 years for an overall rate of 12.9 per 100,000. Our rates for ages 5-9 years (0.2), 10-14 years (3.8), and 15-19 years (22.3) are over twice the U.S. rates. Suicide deaths resulted primarily from firearms (67%), hanging (16%), poisoning (6%), inhalation (4%), and other methods (7%). Method varied by ethnicity (p = .01) and gender (p = .03); males and non-Hispanic Whites were overrepresented among firearm deaths. Firearm ownership was known in 60 (48%) of the firearm deaths. Of these, 53% of the firearms belonged to a family member, 25% to the decedent, and 22% to a friend. Over one-third of decedents (41%) experienced mental disorders, primarily depressed mood and clinical depression. Previous suicide attempts were noted for 15% of the decedents. Some 50% of the decedents had alcohol or drugs present at the time of death; among American Indians/Alaska Natives, 74% had drugs or alcohol present (p = .003). Targeted interventions are needed to reduce adolescent suicide in New Mexico. We suggest raising awareness about acute and chronic contributing factors to suicide; training physicians to look for behavioral manifestations of depression; and involving physicians, teachers, and youth activity leaders in efforts to limit firearm accessibility, such as advising parents to remove firearms from their households.

A Continued Humanitarian Crisis at the Border: Undocumented Border Crosser Deaths Recorded by the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, 1990-2012

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Martinez ◽  
Robin Reineke ◽  
Raquel Rubio-Goldsmith ◽  
Bruce E. Anderson ◽  
Gregory L. Hess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Humanitarian Crisis ◽  
Pima County

scholarly journals “Rust stain”: a rare mark in firearm suicide—a case report and review of the literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Tomassini ◽  
Daniele Paolini ◽  
Anna Maria Manta ◽  
Edoardo Bottoni ◽  
Costantino Ciallella
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Experimental Setting ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Histological Findings ◽  
Porcine Skin ◽  
Manner Of Death ◽  
Prolonged Contact ◽  
Firearm Suicide

AbstractRust stains are marks left by firearms in case of prolonged contact with the cutaneous surfaces. These peculiar signs along with other well-documented findings can guide the medical examiner in the determination of the manner of death, especially in case of firearm suicide. This paper presents the case of a 33-year-old male soldier who committed suicide by using a short-barreled weapon, whose trigger remained in contact with the first finger of his right hand, leading to the formation of a rust stain that perfectly reproduced its design. The forensic examination of the scene, the external cadaveric inspection, and the autopsy are described. For the evaluation of the histological findings typical of rust spots, the authors decided to replicate the phenomenon in an experimental setting using porcine skin. In order to provide an exhaustive overview on the formation and the features of rust stains, a review of the forensic literature concerning this rare mark was performed.

scholarly journals Overcoming Educational Challenges and Impact of COVID-19 in a Pathology Residency Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237428952199423
Author(s):  
Andres E. Mindiola Romero ◽  
Candice C. Black ◽  
Christopher R. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Digital Pathology ◽  
Clinical Pathology ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Personal Learning

Our program in is a 4-year combined anatomic pathology (AP) and clinical pathology (CP) program located in New Hampshire. Prior to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, double-headed sign-outs and multi-headed scope didactic conferences took place daily. On the autopsy service, cases were performed in-house under attending supervision, and forensic cases were performed at the off-site Office of the Medical Examiner. In CP, residents engaged in weekly didactic CP lectures and engaged in in-person resident-attending discussions, laboratory rounds, and direct patient contact on a daily basis. Institutional Universal Guidelines from the Emergency Order from New Hampshire were imposed at the beginning of the pandemic. These included exposure mitigation and employee screening strategies. Changes to resident rotations and didactic sessions, strategies to maintain resident wellness, and the program director perspectives are described. Amid the pandemic, digital pathology, teleconferencing platforms, and social media became important resources for pathology education. Digital platforms allowed groups of people to communicate and watch live presentations while social distancing. In AP, whole slide imaging allowed both attendings and residents to scan slides for personal learning, slide conferences, and didactic learning sessions. Following these measures, we supported the clinical needs of our medical center and learning needs of our residents while enacting social distancing and prevention guidelines early in the pandemic. Although the full impact of COVID-19 on pathology residency programs is still unknown, we incorporated new facets of communication technologies. These were immensely helpful in maintaining social distancing and helping to reduce the spread of disease.

Firearm Suicide in the Home Setting

1972 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce L. Danto
Keyword(s):  
Predominantly White ◽  
White Male ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Wayne County ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Firearm Suicide ◽  
Education And Employment ◽  
Suicide Group

All gunshot deaths determined to be suicide were studied in Wayne County, Michigan, over a three-month period during the summer of 1969. Only gunshot deaths in the home setting were included in the study. Data were gathered by attendance at medical examiner hearings as well as conferences with local police and the prosecuting attorney's office. The obtained sample involved 29 suicides. The suicide group consisted of persons who were predominantly white, male, and over 45 years of age. Their level of education and employment was fairly good. The suicide group had a fairly high incidence of registered hand guns when used. The suicide group had a high incidence of birth in the state, and those bom elsewhere had lived in the county for a minimum of 3 years. Limitations of the research method are discussed both in terms of the large number of “unknown” responses as well as the shortsightedness of both police and medical examiner investigations of suicide. It is suggested that public agencies should expand their investigations to provide greater insight and understanding about suicide.

Investigation and Review of Unexpected Infant and Child Deaths

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 734-735
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Death ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Child Deaths ◽  
Death Investigation

A significant proportion of infant and child deaths are preventable. Of the 55 861 deaths of children aged 14 and younger in the United States in 1989, more than three fourths occurred in children under the age of 2 years.1 Approximately one third of the latter were unexpected, including those due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or trauma, or deaths that were otherwise unexplained. Child abuse deaths occur in greatest numbers among infants, followed by those in toddlers and preschool children.2 Children younger than 6 years of age are most vulnerable to abuse because of their small size, incomplete verbal skills, and often limited contact with adults other than their primary caretakers.3 With few exceptions, throughout the United States there is no uniform system for the investigation of infant and child deaths. Many jurisdictions lack appropriately trained pathologists, interagency collaboration hat would facilitate sharing of information about the family, and a surveillance system to evaluate data regarding infant deaths. As a result, progress in the understanding of SIDS is inhibited, cases of child abuse and neglect may be missed, familial genetic diseases go undiagnosed, public health threats may be unrecognized, and inadequate medical care may be undetected. Lack of adequate infant and child death investigation is an impediment to preventing illness, injury and death of other children at risk. Adequate death investigation requires the participation of numerous individuals including medical examiner/coroner, public health officials, the patient's physician, the pathologist, and personnel from agencies involved with child welfare and social services and law enforcement.

Declining Clinical Autopsy Rates Versus Increasing Medicolegal Autopsy Rates in Halifax, Nova Scotia

2001 ◽  
Vol 125 (7) ◽  
pp. 924-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie J. Wood ◽  
Ashim K. Guha
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Retrospective Review ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Downward Trend ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Autopsy Rate ◽  
Autopsy Data ◽  
Medicolegal Autopsy ◽  
Over Time

Abstract The downward trend in the rate of clinical autopsies has been extensively documented in the literature. This decline is of concern when the benefits of the clinical autopsy are considered. In contrast, the rate of medicolegal autopsies has not been studied in such detail. What little reference there is to medicolegal autopsy rates suggests an absence of the same downward trend. A retrospective review of autopsy data over a 13-year period from the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Nova Scotia was conducted. This review showed a difference between the rates of clinical and medicolegal autopsies for the metro Halifax area. The clinical autopsy rate was consistently less than 30% and declined to 15% in 1999, while the medicolegal autopsy rate was consistently greater than 40% and rose to 62% in 1999. The literature proposes many reasons for the decline in the clinical autopsy rate, but none for this difference between rates. The explanation proposed here is the changing and currently uncertain purpose of the clinical autopsy versus the clear, and consistent over time, purpose of the medicolegal autopsy.

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