233 results on '"Death investigation"'
Search Results
2. Prevalence and blood concentrations of benzodiazepines and opioids in opioid‐positive death investigations in Ontario, Canada, from 2017 to 2021.
- Author
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Mocanu, Cora, Woodall, Karen L., and Solbeck, Patricia
- Subjects
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PSYCHIATRIC drugs , *BENZODIAZEPINES , *OPIOIDS , *OPIOID analgesics , *HEALTH policy , *HARM reduction , *NALOXONE - Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of benzodiazepines in opioid‐positive death investigations, including trends in frequency and combination of drugs, as well as demographic data and blood concentrations, where available. Additionally, naloxone concentrations in polysubstance compared to opioid‐only cases were analyzed. This was a retrospective study that consisted of all post‐mortem toxicology cases in Ontario, Canada, from January 01, 2017, to December 31, 2021, with an opioid finding in any analyzed autopsy specimen. There were 11,033 death investigations identified. The overall rate of benzodiazepine co‐involvement was 54.5%. Males accounted for the majority of cases (71%), and the most affected age group was 30‐ to 39‐year‐olds. The most frequently detected opioid was fentanyl and the most frequently detected benzodiazepine was etizolam, which was also the most frequently observed opioid/benzodiazepine combination. Findings related to differences in concentrations of opioids when naloxone was also present were mostly non‐significant, except for methadone. The rate of benzodiazepine detection with opioids grew faster than opioid detections overall, potentially due to the increasingly toxic drug supply. Detection of novel psychoactive drugs fluctuated more unpredictably than opioids and benzodiazepines associated with clinical use. These findings can help inform policy decisions by public health agencies in exploring harm reduction efforts, for example, education and drug‐checking services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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3. Research, practice, and data informed investigations of child and youth suicide: A science to service and service to science approach.
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Colpe, Lisa, Blair, Janet M., Kurikeshu, Rebecca, Mack, Karin A., Nashelsky, Marcus, O'Connor, Stephen, Pearson, Jane, Pilkey, Diane, Warner, Margaret, and Weintraub, Brendan
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SUICIDAL behavior in youth , *SUICIDAL ideation , *CHILD death , *SUICIDAL behavior , *SUICIDE statistics , *ETHNICITY - Abstract
Background : Suicide rates for children and adolescents have been increasing over the past 2 decades. In April 2023, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) convened a two-day workshop to address child and youth suicide. Purpose : The workshop focus was to discuss the state of the science and stimulate a collaborative response between researchers, death investigators, and data collection teams to build a science to service and service to science approach toward understanding - and ultimately preventing – this growing problem of child and youth suicide. Highlights : Topics that meeting participants highlighted as worthy of further consideration for research and practice were: increasing awareness among death investigators, medical examiners, and coroners that child suicide deaths under age 10 years do occur and should be investigated and documented accordingly; emphasizing the value of science based protocols for child and youth death investigations to enhance consistency of approaches; and articulating needs for postvention services to suicide loss survivors. Outcomes : The importance of collecting an accurate and complete cause and manner of death (i.e., unintentional, suicide, homicide, undetermined) among all child decedents, and demographic information such as race, ethnicity, and sexual/gender minority status was underscored as critical for enhanced surveillance. For prevention efforts, approaches to assessing and understanding suicidal thoughts and behaviors among diverse groups of children, and the variability in proximal and distal risk factors are needed to inform opportunities for preventive interventions for diverse communities. The need for consistent measures and processes to improve death investigations, fatality review committees, and coordination between data collection systems and agencies was also raised. Practical applications : Collaborations among researchers, death investigators, and data collection teams can help to fully describe the child and youth suicide crisis and provide actionable information for new research, and prevention and response efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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4. The future of the autopsy: will nano-robots replace pathologists?
- Author
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Youd, Esther
- Abstract
Autopsy practice requires an excellent level of knowledge and understanding of human anatomy, pathology, pathophysiology and clinical correlation, in order to establish the cause of a death. Interpretation of findings during an autopsy is a complicated task, currently limited to a pathologist, but with a severely stretched pathologist workforce in the UK, autopsy practice is under pressure. Accepting these challenges, does future technology make it possible to assist, augment or even replace a pathologist? Can a CT scanner make a pathologist redundant? Can a robot perform an autopsy? Are there better ways to make use of the limited resource of autopsy pathologists? This article discusses the potential of current and future technological developments, alongside some changes to systems of death investigation and employment arrangements that could establish autopsy practice as a professionalised service and a sought after career choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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5. Welche Kriterien liegen der Beauftragung gerichtlicher Leichenöffnungen zugrunde, und welche Rückschlüsse ergeben sich für die rechtsmedizinische Praxis?: Ergebnisse einer Befragung von StaatsanwältInnen und PolizistInnen in Rheinland-Pfalz
- Author
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Schwarz, Clara-Sophie, Germerott, Tanja, and Walz, Cleo
- Abstract
Copyright of Rechtsmedizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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- 2023
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6. Shining Light on the Shadows
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Levin, Jack, author and Wiest, Julie B., author
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- 2023
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7. A TikTok™ "Benadryl Challenge" death—A case report and review of the literature.
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Elkhazeen, Abu, Poulos, Chris, Zhang, Xin, Cavanaugh, John, and Cain, Matthew
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DIPHENHYDRAMINE , *MEDICAL personnel , *TEENAGERS , *AUTOPSY , *FORENSIC pathologists , *LITERATURE reviews , *SOCIAL media - Abstract
TikTok™, a social media platform popular with teenagers and young adults, hosts a variety of short‐form user videos with durations from 15 s to 10 min. Among these videos are potentially dangerous "challenges," such as the "Skull Breaker" challenge and the "Benadryl" challenge. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is an over‐the‐counter medication with potential for misuse in both suicidal and recreational purposes. We report the case of a 14‐year‐old girl who reportedly ingested an unknown amount of diphenhydramine while taking part in a TikTok™ social media challenge. Autopsy revealed marked bilateral pulmonary congestion and edema, as well as a bright pink granular material within the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and proximal jejunum. A postmortem femoral blood sample result identified a lethal blood concentration of diphenhydramine (49,658 ng/ml). Physicians and other healthcare providers need to be aware of social media trends that may pose public health threats. Teenagers are a particularly susceptible group and need to be informed of the risks associated with these "challenges." For the forensics field, a knowledge of and process for accessing social media platforms can be critical for investigating deaths. Given the extremely elevated concentration of diphenhydramine in this case, a knowledge of circumstances of death, the scene, and social media trends can assist the forensic pathologist in determining the correct manner of death—accident versus suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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8. Postmortem Metabolomics of Insulin Intoxications and the Potential Application to Find Hypoglycemia-Related Deaths.
- Author
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Ward, Liam J., Engvall, Gustav, Green, Henrik, Kugelberg, Fredrik C., Söderberg, Carl, and Elmsjö, Albert
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AUTOPSY ,TIME-of-flight mass spectrometry ,INSULIN ,METABOLOMIC fingerprinting ,METABOLOMICS ,CAUSES of death - Abstract
Postmortem metabolomics can assist death investigations by characterizing metabolic fingerprints differentiating causes of death. Hypoglycemia-related deaths, including insulin intoxications, are difficult to identify and, thus, presumably underdiagnosed. This investigation aims to differentiate insulin intoxication deaths by metabolomics, and identify a metabolic fingerprint to screen for unknown hypoglycemia-related deaths. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry data were obtained from 19 insulin intoxications (hypo), 19 diabetic comas (hyper), and 38 hangings (control). Screening for potentially unknown hypoglycemia-related deaths was performed using 776 random postmortem cases. Data were processed using XCMS and SIMCA. Multivariate modeling revealed group separations between hypo, hyper, and control groups. A metabolic fingerprint for the hypo group was identified, and analyses revealed significant decreases in 12 acylcarnitines, including nine hydroxylated-acylcarnitines. Screening of random postmortem cases identified 46 cases (5.9%) as potentially hypoglycemia-related, including six with unknown causes of death. Autopsy report review revealed plausible hypoglycemia-cause for five unknown cases. Additionally, two diabetic cases were found, with a metformin intoxication and a suspicious but unverified insulin intoxication, respectively. Further studies are required to expand on the potential of postmortem metabolomics as a tool in hypoglycemia-related death investigations, and the future application of screening for potential insulin intoxications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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9. Postmortem Examination as an Aid to the Criminal Investigation System
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Elserafy, Osama S., Singh, Jaskaran, editor, and Sharma, Neeta Raj, editor
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- 2021
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10. Introduction to the Investigation of Death and Post Mortem Computed Tomography
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Shenton, Ayeshea, Kralt, Peter, Suvarna, S. Kim, Shenton, Ayeshea, Kralt, Peter, and Suvarna, S. Kim
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- 2021
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11. National Association of Medical Examiners position paper: Recommendations for the investigation and certification of deaths in people with epilepsy
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Middleton, Owen, Atherton, Daniel, Bundock, Elizabeth, Donner, Elizabeth, Friedman, Daniel, Hesdorffer, Dale, Jarrell, Heather, McCrillis, Aileen, Mena, Othon J, Morey, Mitchel, Thurman, David, Tian, Niu, Tomson, Torbjörn, Tseng, Zian, White, Steven, Wright, Cyndi, and Devinsky, Orrin
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Neurosciences ,Brain Disorders ,Neurodegenerative ,Epilepsy ,Good Health and Well Being ,Coroners and Medical Examiners ,Death Certificates ,Death ,Sudden ,Humans ,United States ,autopsy ,death investigation ,epilepsy ,mortality ,sudden unexpected death in epilepsy ,Clinical Sciences ,Neurology & Neurosurgery - Abstract
Sudden unexpected death of an individual with epilepsy can pose a challenge to death investigators, as most deaths are unwitnessed, and the individual is commonly found dead in bed. Anatomic findings (eg, tongue/lip bite) are commonly absent and of varying specificity, thereby limiting the evidence to implicate epilepsy as a cause of or contributor to death. Thus it is likely that death certificates significantly underrepresent the true number of deaths in which epilepsy was a factor. To address this, members of the National Association of Medical Examiners, North American SUDEP Registry, Epilepsy Foundation SUDEP Institute, American Epilepsy Society, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention constituted an expert panel to generate evidence-based recommendations for the practice of death investigation and autopsy, toxicological analysis, interpretation of autopsy and toxicology findings, and death certification to improve the precision of death certificate data available for public health surveillance of epilepsy-related deaths. The recommendations provided in this paper are intended to assist medical examiners, coroners, and death investigators when a sudden unexpected death in a person with epilepsy is encountered.
- Published
- 2018
12. Deaths in Police Custody
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Shepherd, Richard T. and Stark, Margaret M., editor
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- 2020
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13. Sources of bias in death determination: A research note articulating the need to include systemic sources of biases along with cognitive ones as impacting mortality data.
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PROOF & certification of death , *COGNITIVE bias , *THANATOLOGY , *IMPLICIT bias , *FORENSIC pathologists ,AGE factors in cognition disorders - Abstract
There are structural and organizational factors that impact how and what mortality data are collected. There are individual decision‐making processes and implicit cognitive biases that influence how and what mortality data are collected. Yet there seems to be a disconnect between how and why these two broad sources of bias may collide and how both need to be understood in order to be able to approach solutions aimed at strengthening the accuracy of mortality data. Using results from a mixed‐method, long‐term research project at four medicolegal offices in two countries, France and the United States, this research note proposes that truly understanding the sources of implicit cognitive bias in forensic pathologists and other medicolegal actors requires knowledge of legal, cultural, and organizational structures that shape medicolegal systems and in turn constrain individual actors' decision‐making processes. The goal is to advocate for multilevel and multi‐methods approaches to propose systemic solutions to the issue of implicit cognitive biases in forensic pathologists and other medicolegal actors' decision‐making processes. For this purpose, the author outlines a series of specific issues to be integrated in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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14. Rodent scavenging of pig remains potentially increases oviposition sites for primary colonizers.
- Author
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Flint, Casey A., Sawyer, Samantha J., Rhinesmith‐Carranza, Jennifer, and Tomberlin, Jeffery K.
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SWINE carcasses , *INSECT societies , *OVIPARITY , *RODENTS , *FORENSIC pathology , *FORENSIC sciences , *SWINE - Abstract
The feeding of vertebrate scavengers on animal remains has been noted for at least 30 years in relation to the creation of postmortem artifacts. However, the subsequent impact on other necrophagous arthropods, which interact with these remains has not been well documented. Herein, we report a rodent (Rattus spp.) feeding event that altered a perimortem wound beneath the jaw of a decomposing swine carcass. Point trauma such as this has been cited as insufficient for insect colonization; however, the resulting enlargement of the wound due to scavenger feeding has the potential to serve as an oviposition site where colonization would typically not be expected otherwise (i.e., in the absence of a wound or the presence of a small wound such as point trauma). In fact, colonization was observed surrounding the site of scavenger alteration. If scavenger artifacts (e.g., postmortem alteration of remains by feeding) are not identified appropriately and recognized for the effects they may have on necrophagous arthropods then associated assessments in forensic investigations could be affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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15. Barriers to consistent and reliable investigation of sudden unexpected infant death: Perspectives from law enforcement.
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Snippen, Jennifer R., Cheyney, Melissa, and Drake, Stacy A.
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SUDDEN infant death syndrome , *LAW enforcement , *LAW enforcement officials , *THEMATIC analysis , *HOMICIDE investigation , *PROOF & certification of death - Abstract
Despite persistent efforts to advance infant death investigation, most sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) remain unexplained. Law enforcement officials contribute to SUID investigations throughout the United States, but their impacts on these investigations have not been adequately examined. In this exploratory study, 26 law enforcement officials were interviewed about their experiences and perspectives with SUID investigations. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed three specific difficulties law enforcement encounter during SUID investigations: (1) inadequate preparation; (2) overwhelming emotions; and (3) a victim–suspect dilemma. Findings indicate that these barriers may inhibit consistent and reliable investigation of infant death and, therefore, may impede the cause and manner of death determinations. Participants' narratives also offered insights into potential solutions, including expanded SUID training for law enforcement and use of checklists, such as the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form. The impacts of overwhelming emotions confronted during SUID investigation warrant further study. The victim–suspect dilemma stems from the inability of law enforcement to conclusively eliminate the possibility of homicide. This dilemma may be resolved through a clear distinction between interactions with potential evidence and interactions with the family. Law enforcement must be trained to treat all SUID families in a compassionate and non‐accusatory manner, while investigating all SUID with careful attention to detail that is essential in any potential homicide investigation. A consistent, meticulous, and compassionate approach to SUID investigations will improve the reliability of information obtained and offer the best opportunity for providing answers to grieving parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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16. Highlighting "Risky Remands" Through Prisoner Death Investigations: People With Very Severe Mental Illness Transitioning From Police and Court Custody Into Prison on Remand.
- Author
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Tomczak, Philippa
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DETENTION of persons ,MENTAL illness ,MENTAL health facilities ,PRISONERS - Abstract
Prison suicide/self-inflicted death is an international public health crisis, harming stakeholders including bereaved families, prisoners, prison staff and death investigators. England and Wales' record prison suicide numbers in 2016 cost at least £400 million. Death rates are an indicator of prison safety, and unsafe prisons mean unsafe societies. I present four case studies of people with very severe mental illness who were remanded to prison from police and/or court custody and went on to take their own lives in prison. I use publicly available data from Ombudsman and Coronial death investigations in England and Wales, highlighting that these accessible sources could be more widely mobilized to reduce the substantial harms and costs of prisoner deaths. Case studies include three men (Lewis Francis, Jason Basalat and Dean Saunders) and one woman (Sarah Reed) who took their own lives between January 2016 and April 2017. All four people were clearly very mentally unwell at the time of their alleged offense and remand to prison. I develop the concept of "risky remands" to highlight that people with very severe mental illness being remanded to prison is a particularly problematic practice. I highlight the implications of people with very severe mental illness transitioning into prison in the first place, arguing that being remanded to prison is not an acceptable or safe pathway into healthcare. I illustrate that police custody suites and courts may lack awareness of mechanisms and/ or the practical ability to transfer ill detainees charged with a serious crime to mental health facilities for assessment and/ or treatment. My analysis amplifies and extends recent Criminal Justice Joint Inspection findings that it is unacceptable to use prisons as a "place of safety," and that the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the Welsh Government must increase the supply of medium and high secure beds. Moreover, Ombudsman investigations did not engage with the remand transition, effectively legitimizing this risky practice for very ill people. As such, my analysis also counters the apparent "problem of implementation" in prison oversight, instead questioning what reviewers recommend, based on which evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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17. Detection avoidance and mis/unclassified, unsolved homicides in Australia
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Ferguson, Claire and McKinley, Amber
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- 2020
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18. Highlighting 'Risky Remands' Through Prisoner Death Investigations: People With Very Severe Mental Illness Transitioning From Police and Court Custody Into Prison on Remand
- Author
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Philippa Tomczak
- Subjects
pre-trial detention ,liaison and diversion ,mental capacity ,fitness to plead ,prison oversight ,death investigation ,Psychiatry ,RC435-571 - Abstract
Prison suicide/self-inflicted death is an international public health crisis, harming stakeholders including bereaved families, prisoners, prison staff and death investigators. England and Wales' record prison suicide numbers in 2016 cost at least £400 million. Death rates are an indicator of prison safety, and unsafe prisons mean unsafe societies. I present four case studies of people with very severe mental illness who were remanded to prison from police and/or court custody and went on to take their own lives in prison. I use publicly available data from Ombudsman and Coronial death investigations in England and Wales, highlighting that these accessible sources could be more widely mobilized to reduce the substantial harms and costs of prisoner deaths. Case studies include three men (Lewis Francis, Jason Basalat and Dean Saunders) and one woman (Sarah Reed) who took their own lives between January 2016 and April 2017. All four people were clearly very mentally unwell at the time of their alleged offense and remand to prison. I develop the concept of “risky remands” to highlight that people with very severe mental illness being remanded to prison is a particularly problematic practice. I highlight the implications of people with very severe mental illness transitioning into prison in the first place, arguing that being remanded to prison is not an acceptable or safe pathway into healthcare. I illustrate that police custody suites and courts may lack awareness of mechanisms and/ or the practical ability to transfer ill detainees charged with a serious crime to mental health facilities for assessment and/ or treatment. My analysis amplifies and extends recent Criminal Justice Joint Inspection findings that it is unacceptable to use prisons as a “place of safety,” and that the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the Welsh Government must increase the supply of medium and high secure beds. Moreover, Ombudsman investigations did not engage with the remand transition, effectively legitimizing this risky practice for very ill people. As such, my analysis also counters the apparent “problem of implementation” in prison oversight, instead questioning what reviewers recommend, based on which evidence.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. A retrospective comparative study to evaluate the reliability of post-mortem interval sources in UK and US medico-legal death investigations.
- Author
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Giles, Stephanie B., Errickson, David, and Márquez-Grant, Nicholas
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CRIME scene searches ,MEDICAL examiners (Law) ,ELECTRONIC evidence ,POLICE reports ,INFORMATION resources ,RELIABILITY in engineering - Abstract
• The reliability of PMI information sources could be quantifiably graded. • High confidence PMI sources included digital evidence and forensic specialists. • Only 35% of all homicide cases used PMI estimations from forensic specialists. • The incidence of PMI source corroboration was overall low (4%). • Corroborating information sources can improve confidence in PMI estimations. Post-mortem interval (PMI) information sources may be subject to varying degrees of reliability that could impact the level of confidence associated with PMI estimations in forensic taphonomy research and in the practice of medico-legal death investigation. This study aimed to assess the reliability of PMI information sources in a retrospective comparative analysis of 1813 cases of decomposition from the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner in Pittsburgh, US (n = 1714), and the Crime Scene Investigation department at Southwest Forensics in the UK (n = 99). PMI information sources were subjected to a two-stage evaluation using an adapted version of the 3x5 aspects of the UK police National Intelligence Model (NIM) to determine the confidence level associated with each source. Normal distribution plots were created to show the distribution frequency of the dependent variables (decomposition stage and source evaluation) by the independent variable of PMI. The manner, location, and season of death were recorded to ascertain if these variables influenced the reliability of the PMI. A confidence matrix was then created to assess the overall reliability and provenance of each PMI information source. Reliable PMI sources (including forensic specialists, missing persons reports, and digital evidence) were used across extensive PMI ranges (1 to 2920 days in the US, and 1 to 240 days in the UK) but conferred a low incidence of use with forensic specialists providing a PMI estimation in only 35% of all homicide cases. Medium confidence PMI sources (e.g., last known social contact) accounted for the majority of UK (54%, n = 54) and US (82%, n = 1413) cases and were associated with shorter PMIs and natural causes of death. Low confidence PMI sources represented the lowest frequencies of UK and US cases and exclusively comprised PMI information from scene evidence. In 96% of all cases, only one PMI source was reported, meaning PMI source corroboration was overall very low (4%). This research has important application for studies using police reports of PMI information to validate PMI estimation models, and in the practice of medico-legal death investigation where it is recommended that i) the identified reliable PMI sources are sought ii) untested or unreliable PMI sources are substantiated with corroborating PMI information, iii) all PMI sources are reported with an associated degree of confidence that encapsulates the uncertainty of the originating source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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20. Medicolegal death investigator workplace safety hazards: A scoping review of the literature.
- Author
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Drake, Stacy A., Thoene, Caitlyn, Foster, Margaret, Porta, Carolyn, and Pickens, Adam W.
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FORENSIC pathology , *CRIME laboratories , *FORENSIC pathologists , *HAZARDS , *OCCUPATIONAL hazards , *INDUSTRIAL safety - Abstract
In the United States, medicolegal death investigation practices and policies pertaining to sudden unexpected deaths are mandated by state government. Practices vary across states, which contributes to inconsistency in job prerequisites and training. In preparation for a study focused on occupational safety and health of medicolegal death investigators in their on‐scene and follow‐up activities, a scoping review was conducted to document known occupational safety risks and health‐related conditions associated with death investigation. Searches used Boolean and subject heading operators both broad and narrow in scope, and search terms included scene responder, hazard, investigator, forensic pathology, injury, and safety. Twenty‐five articles met inclusion criteria, which included seventeen survey‐mixed method designs, two systematic reviews, five quasi‐experimental designs, and one case study. Twelve articles addressed mental health and eleven focused on risks associated with infectious disease. One article addressed the risk of chemical exposure from cyanide among autopsy personnel (including forensic pathologists) and nine included a wide range of employees within the setting of medical examiner or coroner offices. One article, addressing burnout, included employees in a forensic science laboratory setting as well as medicolegal death investigators and two articles included forensic pathologists and medicolegal death investigators. Only one article addressed medicolegal death investigators specifically. Articles addressing occupational and environmental hazards of medicolegal death investigators associated with musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, radiological, nuclear, electrical, or explosive threats were not identified. There is little published about safety risks inherent in conducting death investigations. Research is needed to adequately inform health promotion and injury prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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21. Applications of forensic entomology: overview and update
- Author
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Sanaa M. Aly and Hebatalla Aldeyarbi
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insects ,pmi ,species ,identification ,death investigation ,Medicine ,Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology ,HV1-9960 - Abstract
Despite the great strides made in fundamental and applied research, forensic entomology is constantly growing and considered to be an interconnected scientific discipline. Indeed, there is shortage in the available scientific literature in comparison to many other legal and biological subjects as well as in the number of forensic entomologists. The main goal of this work is to clarify the importance of forensic entomology by demonstration of their applications; it can provide important information about when, where, and how a particular death occurred. It can also identify the assailant and/or the victim or might highlight in some cases, the victim’s state of neglect prior to death. It also aimed to demonstrate the impact of new emerging technologies; encouraging researchers to further pursue this line of research. More multidisciplinary research would lead to better understanding and identifying novel research areas. Consequently, that could meet scientific and legal expectations.
- Published
- 2020
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22. Identifying gaps and improving investigation of fatal elder abuse and/or neglect.
- Author
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Drake, Stacy A., Akande, Anthony, Kelly, P. Adam, Yang, Yijiong, and Wolf, Dwayne A.
- Subjects
- *
ABUSE of older people , *TIME of death , *FORENSIC pathologists , *FORENSIC pathology , *METROPOLITAN areas , *SUDDEN death - Abstract
Death investigator and autopsy reports for decedents 65 years and older within a major metropolitan area over a five‐year period were assessed for the possibility of elder abuse and/or neglect. The study consisted of two stages. A simple two‐question screening criteria was used to determine whether the decedent was (1) dependent on another for at least one activity of daily living and (2) had a presence of at least one indicator of abuse and/or neglect. Second, only cases with affirmative criteria responses were reviewed to identify inconsistent or deficient variables that precluded (or if present, allowed) determination of abuse and/or neglect. A multidisciplinary panel of local and national experts, including forensic pathologists, law enforcement, and geriatricians assessed these indicators as indicative of presence of abuse/neglect, and these indicators were subsequently developed as a supplemental data collection tool. Of a possible 2798 cases, 2324 (83%) were excluded using the screening criteria. This reduced the number of cases that warranted further investigation to 474 (17% of elderly deaths in this timeframe). All 474 decedents were dependent on another for at least one ADL and 322 (68%) had unexplained injuries. In 180 (38%) cases had recorded notation of a suspicion of abuse and/or neglect at the time of death. The results support the premise that a simple, two‐criterion screening can effectively identify cases of potential abuse and/or neglect and, when followed by a supplemental data collection tool, cases can be efficiently evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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23. Occupational mortality in the New Mexico oil and gas industry.
- Author
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Faturos, Andrew, Bodor, Garon, Proe, Lori, and Lathrop, Sarah
- Subjects
- *
GAS industry , *OCCUPATIONAL mortality , *PETROLEUM industry , *TRAFFIC safety , *TRAFFIC accidents , *PETROLEUM workers - Abstract
New Mexico's oil and natural gas industry has the second highest occupational fatality rate among oil and gas workers in the nation. There is currently limited data available regarding the top contributing factors to occupational mortality specific to the state's oil and gas industry. This study seeks to understand causes of mortality among oil and gas workers in New Mexico between 2008 and 2018. To facilitate this study, case reports were obtained from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, and population data was acquired from the US Department of Labor. In this 11‐year span, there were 73 cases, with an average annual mortality rate of 37 deaths per 100,000 oil and gas workers. Leading causes of death were vehicle accidents (36%), cardiovascular incidents (22%), and crush injuries (19%). The majority of vehicle accidents involved single vehicle accidents, and correct seat belt use was only documented 23% of the time. The majority of cardiovascular deaths were due to arteriosclerotic and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Alcohol was present in 18% of cases, and drugs were present in 19% of cases with methamphetamine present in 10% of investigated deaths. This is the first study to directly include cardiovascular incidents in the leading causes of death; otherwise, this study reflects national data reporting vehicle accidents and crush injuries as the leading causes of death. Going forward, prevention measures should effectively target safe driving practices focusing on seatbelt use, and mitigation of workplace drug and alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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24. Children’s death survey using death certificates in the Chiba prefecture
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Shumari Urabe, Kenji Ishihara, Fumiko Chiba, Rutsuko Yamaguchi, Yuki Shiko, Yohei Kawasaki, and Hirotaro Iwase
- Subjects
Child Death Review ,Cause of death ,Death certificate ,Death Investigation ,Public Health ,Criminal law and procedure ,K5000-5582 - Abstract
In recent years, Child Death Review (CDR) has attracted attention in Japan. It is necessary to consider not only hospital deaths but also out-of-hospital deaths. However, recommending preventive measures may be difficult because statistics on Japanese child mortality are limited. We examined cause of death (COD) and its application in preventive medicine based on death certificates (DCs) in the Chiba Prefecture. Death documents (DDs) and death slips (DSs) were created for individuals aged under 20 years who died between January 2012 and December 2016. They were based on DCs submitted to the Chiba Prefecture. We examined the trend of COD, occurrence of extrinsic mortality, and characteristics of doctors and compared CODs mentioned in DCs with autopsy results. For 1149 cases, the descriptions of DSs and DDs matched. Half of the extrinsic and undetermined deaths, which were examined by police doctors, occurred out-of-hospital. The autopsy rate was 13.5%. The COD mentioned in DCs did not match the autopsy results for 26 out of 69 autopsies performed at our institute. Approximately 70% of sudden infant death syndromes were diagnosed without autopsy. Low autopsy rate, incorrect writings, and errors during the death diagnosis cannot be ignored while conducting CDR. As more than half of the preventable deaths occurred out-of-hospital and there is no system to collect detailed information on them, the Japanese CDR system may not be reliable. It is necessary to improve the death investigation system by promoting autopsies for children and constructing a comprehensive database.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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25. Southern Death Investigation: Theorizing Coronial Work from the Global South
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Scott Bray, Rebecca, Carpenter, Belinda, Barnes, Michael, Carrington, Kerry, editor, Hogg, Russell, editor, Scott, John, editor, and Sozzo, Máximo, editor
- Published
- 2018
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26. Postmortem Metabolomics of Insulin Intoxications and the Potential Application to Find Hypoglycemia-Related Deaths
- Author
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Liam J. Ward, Gustav Engvall, Henrik Green, Fredrik C. Kugelberg, Carl Söderberg, and Albert Elmsjö
- Subjects
acylcarnitines ,biomarkers ,death investigation ,forensic science ,hyperglycemia ,hypoglycemia ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Postmortem metabolomics can assist death investigations by characterizing metabolic fingerprints differentiating causes of death. Hypoglycemia-related deaths, including insulin intoxications, are difficult to identify and, thus, presumably underdiagnosed. This investigation aims to differentiate insulin intoxication deaths by metabolomics, and identify a metabolic fingerprint to screen for unknown hypoglycemia-related deaths. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry data were obtained from 19 insulin intoxications (hypo), 19 diabetic comas (hyper), and 38 hangings (control). Screening for potentially unknown hypoglycemia-related deaths was performed using 776 random postmortem cases. Data were processed using XCMS and SIMCA. Multivariate modeling revealed group separations between hypo, hyper, and control groups. A metabolic fingerprint for the hypo group was identified, and analyses revealed significant decreases in 12 acylcarnitines, including nine hydroxylated-acylcarnitines. Screening of random postmortem cases identified 46 cases (5.9%) as potentially hypoglycemia-related, including six with unknown causes of death. Autopsy report review revealed plausible hypoglycemia-cause for five unknown cases. Additionally, two diabetic cases were found, with a metformin intoxication and a suspicious but unverified insulin intoxication, respectively. Further studies are required to expand on the potential of postmortem metabolomics as a tool in hypoglycemia-related death investigations, and the future application of screening for potential insulin intoxications.
- Published
- 2022
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27. A 5 Year Study of Deaths Following Administration of Medically Prescribed Drugs: Diagnostic Dilemma and Challenges at Autopsy
- Author
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Pradhan, Monisha, Arthy, A., and Kaur, Amandeep
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
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28. Performance comparison between solid phase extraction and magnetic carbon nanotubes facilitated dispersive-micro solid phase extractions (Mag-CNTs/d-µSPE) of a cyanide metabolite in biological samples using GC–MS.
- Author
-
Li, Sun Yi, Petrikovics, Ilona, and Yu, Jorn
- Subjects
- *
CYANIDES , *SOLID phase extraction , *CARBON nanotubes , *CYANIDE poisoning , *SOLVENT extraction , *BIOMARKERS - Abstract
Dispersive-micro solid phase extraction (d-µSPE) has gained increasing attention due to its convenience, effectiveness, and flexibility for sorbent selection. Among a various selection of materials, magnetic carbon nanotubes (Mag-CNTs) is a promising d-µSPE sorbent with excellent separation efficiency in addition to its high surface area and adsorption capability. In this work, two different surface-modified Mag-CNTs, Mag-CNTs-COOH and Mag-CNTs-SO3H, were developed to facilitate d-µSPE (Mag-CNTs/d-µSPE). The cyanide metabolite, 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA), was selected to evaluate their extraction performance using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The Mag-CNTs-COOH enabled a one-step derivatization/desorption approach in the workflow; therefore, a better overall performance was achieved. Compared to the Mag-CNTs-SO3H/d-µSPE and SPE workflow, the one-step desorption/derivatization approach improved the overall extraction efficiency and reduced solvent consumption and waste production. Both Mag-CNTs/d-µSPE workflows were validated according to ANSI/ASB 036 guidelines and showed excellent analytical performances. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of ATCA in synthetic urine were 5 and 10 ng/mL, respectively, and that in bovine blood were achieved at 10 and 60 ng/mL. The SPE method's LOD and LOQ were also determined at 1 and 25 ng/mL in bovine blood samples. The Mag-CNTs/d-µSPE methods demonstrated great potential to extract polar and ionic metabolites from biological matrices. The extraction processes of ATCA described in this work can provide an easier-to-adopt procedure for potential routine forensic testing of the stable biomarker in cyanide poisoning cases, particularly for those cases where the cyanide detection window has passed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Just say no to postmortem drug dose calculations.
- Subjects
- *
DRUG overdose , *AUTOPSY , *AMITRIPTYLINE , *DRUGS , *THANATOLOGY , *TOXICOLOGISTS - Abstract
For years, a number of professional groups have warned forensic and clinical toxicologists against calculating an administered dose of a drug based on postmortem blood drug concentrations. But to date, there has been limited information as to how unreliable these dose calculations may actually be. Using amitriptyline as a model drug, this study used empirically determined pharmacokinetic variables for amitriptyline from clinical studies coupled with clinical overdoses (where the individual survived), and death case studies (ascribed to amitriptyline toxicity) in which the dose of amitriptyline was known. Using these data, standard pharmacokinetic equations, and general error propagation, it was possible to estimate the accuracy of calculated doses of amitriptyline, compared with the doses that were consumed. As was expected in postmortem cases, depending on the pharmacokinetic equation used, the accuracy (mean +128% to +2347%) and precision (SD ± 383% to 3698%) were too large to allow reliable estimations of the dose of amitriptyline consumed prior to death based on postmortem blood drug concentrations. This work again reinforces that dose calculations from postmortem blood drug concentrations are unreliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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30. Deaths of young people living in residential aged care: a national population-based descriptive epidemiological analysis of cases notified to Australian coroners.
- Author
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Eastwood, Kathryn, Bugeja, Lyndal, Zail, Joshua, Cartwright, Anna, Hopkins, Alexandra, and Ibrahim, Joseph E.
- Subjects
- *
CONFIDENCE intervals , *RESEARCH methodology , *NURSING care facilities , *SURVEYS , *RESIDENTIAL care , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio , *EPIDEMIOLOGICAL research - Abstract
This study provides a descriptive epidemiological analysis stratified by age of deaths reported to Australian Coroners of residential aged care facility residents aged under 65 years. A national population-based retrospective analysis was conducted of deaths of Australian residential aged care facility residents reported to Australian Coroners between 2000 and 2013. Descriptive statistics compared adult residents categorised using age by factors relating to the individual, incident and death investigation. Of the 21,736 deaths of residential aged care facilities residents aged over 20 years reported to Australian Coroners, 782 (3.6%) were of residents aged 20–64 years. Natural cause deaths occurred at similar rates irrespective of age. Intentional external cause deaths were higher in residents aged 20–64 years (5.3% vs. 16.0%; OR 3.43, 95% CI 2.0–5.9; p < 0.001), with suicide rates three times that of the over 65 years group (13.2% vs. 4.1%; OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.16–0.51; p < 0.001). External cause deaths from choking and falls were most common in the younger and older groups respectively. More is required to prevent external cause deaths in young residential care facility residents. One in seven (14.1%) deaths of people aged 20–64 years in residential aged care facilities are premature and potentially avoidable. The more common external causes of death include suicide, choking and falls. The prevalence and causes of preventable deaths in this study provide a basis for prompting and developing more specific prevention policies and practices to reduce harm for young people in residential aged care. Specifically, addressing loneliness would improve social inclusion, mental health and suicide risk. Better management of progressive neurological conditions with multidisciplinary team and re-ablement programs would reduce risk of choking and falls. Improving outcomes for young people in residential aged care requires a co-ordinated, multisector approach comprising relevant government departments, aged care providers, researchers and clinicians. Effective planning requires more information about the cause and nature of deaths, and due to the small event counts, this would ideally involve an international collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Perspectives on the death investigation during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Author
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Ye Xue, Liying Lai, Chao Liu, Yong Niu, and Jian Zhao
- Subjects
Forensic science ,Death investigation ,COVID-19 ,Criminal law and procedure ,K5000-5582 - Abstract
The pandemic of COVID-19 caused by 2019-nCoV outbreaks in most of the countries, has subsequently spread rapidly and become a pandemic worldwide. Due to the strong infectivity of COVID-19 and lack of experience of performing an autopsy in infectious disease-induced death, the pandemic created some challenges for forensic practitioners. In this article, we summarize the experience of how we handle the confirmed or suspected infectious cases and give some perspectives for the future.
- Published
- 2020
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32. Death in Custody: Towards an International Framework for Investigation and Prevention
- Author
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Gaggioli, Gloria, Elger, Bernice S., Elger, Bernice S., editor, Ritter, Catherine, editor, and Stöver, Heino, editor
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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33. The meaning of 'being' as a nurse involved in the work of death investigation : a North American view and its implications to practice in England
- Author
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Rutty, Jane Elizabeth and Lucas, Jeff
- Subjects
100 ,Being ,Hermeneutics ,Heidegger ,Nurse ,Forensic ,Death investigation ,Coroner ,North America ,England - Abstract
This research study explored the meaning of 'Being' (i.e. Heidegger's four philosophical concepts of Being-in the-world, fore-structures, time and space) as a nurse involved in the work of death investigation in the USA. The objectives were to: reveal the hidden meaning of Being; transfer the findings into an English context by examining what nurses could offer beyond their current role boundaries in an area not currently practised to the extent that nurses make to other medical specialities; and finally put forward developments that would need to take place to ensure such proposals were successful in making an effective difference to health care. In the USA there are two systems of death investigation, the Coronial and Medical Examiner system. The Coroner is an elected county or state position with varied educational and professional requirements. Some Coroner positions have been filled by registered nurses as they have put themselves forward successfully for election. In contrast, the Medical Examiner is an appointed county or state position who must be a licensed physician and a qualified pathologist or forensic pathologist in most cases. Within the Medical Examiner systems death investigators may also be appointed of which some have been filled by registered nurses. It was under the interpretive paradigm that a Heideggerian hermeneutic study was undertaken. Snowball sampling was instigated to reach a hidden population and collect qualitative data by means of unstructured interviews, non-participant observations, interrogation of historical records and the keeping of a personal reflective diary. The seven phase analysis process underpinned by the hermeneutic circle was developed to enable a synopsis of the shared meaning of Being to be revealed through the presentation of paradigm cases that encompass stories and themes. Of the 22 nurses found to be working as either death investigators or Coroners in the USA who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 17 nurses from 11 States in the USA consented to take part. Fore-structures concerning age (average 37), gender (82% were women) and professional experience (majority came from an adult nursing background with emergency department or critical care experience) are discussed. Overall participants were interviewed for a total of 78 hours in 11 States, five of which were also observed in practice for a total of 142 hours in 3 States, giving a total of 220 hours of interview and observational data. The interpretive analysis revealed the three major paradigms of: the authentic and inauthentic reality of Being (the death investigator nurse in action); the everydayness and averageness of Being (community outreach) and the publicness of Being (mass fatality care). This study reveals knowledge concerning the meaning of Being as a nurse involved in the work of death investigation in the USA. Aspects of this illuminated landscape have propositioned for the advancement of nursing clinical practice to replace and further develop the current coroner's officer and soon to be implemented medical examiner officer role in England and Wales. Hence recommendations are made for practice development and further research in England.
- Published
- 2010
34. Postmortem Metabolomics Reveal Acylcarnitines as Potential Biomarkers for Fatal Oxycodone-Related Intoxication
- Author
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Albert Elmsjö, Carl Söderberg, Gerd Jakobsson, Henrik Green, and Robert Kronstrand
- Subjects
metabolomics ,biomarkers ,postmortem ,acylcarnitine ,death investigation ,forensic sciences ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Postmortem metabolomics has recently been suggested as a potential tool for discovering new biological markers able to assist in death investigations. Interpretation of oxycodone concentrations in postmortem cases is complicated, as oxycodone tolerance leads to overlapping concentrations for oxycodone intoxications versus non-intoxications. The primary aim of this study was to use postmortem metabolomics to identify potential endogenous biomarkers that discriminate between oxycodone-related intoxications and non-intoxications. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry data from 934 postmortem femoral blood samples, including oxycodone intoxications and controls positive and negative for oxycodone, were used in this study. Data were processed and evaluated with XCMS and SIMCA. A clear trend in group separation was observed between intoxications and controls, with a model sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 76%. Approximately halved levels of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines were observed for oxycodone intoxications in comparison with controls (p < 0.001). These biochemical changes seem to relate to the toxicological effects of oxycodone and potentially acylcarnitines constituting a biologically relevant biomarker for opioid poisonings. More studies are needed in order to elucidate the potential of acylcarnitines as biomarker for oxycodone toxicity and their relation to CNS-depressant effects.
- Published
- 2022
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35. Deaths due to electrocution: An evaluation of death scene investigations and autopsy findings
- Author
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Brittani K Massey, Mohammed A Sait, William L. A. Johnson, Mary Ripple, David R Fowler, and Ling Li
- Subjects
Death investigation ,electrocution ,fatality ,forensic autopsy ,work-related death ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
The purpose of the study was to delineate the epidemiological characteristics of electrocution deaths in Maryland, identify any potential risks, and address preventive measures. A retrospective review of all the deaths due to electrocution was conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the State of Maryland from 2005 to 2015. During the 11-year period, a total of 55 electrocution deaths were identified from the autopsy cases at the statewide medical examiner system. More males died of electrocution than females with its ratio of (M: F) = 9:1. Of the 55 cases, 67.3% were White, 18.2% were African-American, 12.7% were Hispanic, and 1.8% were other races. The age of the victims ranged from 4 to 83 years with mean age of 40 years. >96% deaths due to accidents and 3.4% were suicide. The majority of deaths (70.9%) were caused by high-voltage circuits. Approximately 64% of fatalities were work-related accidents. The study indicated that electrocution deaths frequently affected young male workers who were in contact with a high-voltage currents while on the job. The detailed death scene investigation and autopsy findings are presented. The potential hazards of electricity must continue to be addressed in public safety campaigns to prevent such deaths. Strategies should ensure safe work environments for any contact with electric currents.
- Published
- 2018
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36. An introduction to postmortem interval estimation in medicolegal death investigations.
- Author
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Sutton, Lerah and Byrd, Jason
- Subjects
- *
FORENSIC medicine , *FORENSIC anthropology , *AUTOPSY , *CRIME suspects , *PRELIMINARY examinations (Criminal procedure) - Abstract
Throughout the history of forensic medicine, the postmortem interval has been one of the most commonly and thoroughly investigated problems. The importance of an accurate PMI in the context of a medicolegal death investigation cannot be understated due to its utility and application toward investigative determinations including inclusion or exclusion of suspects, determination of time of assault versus time of death, and preliminary victim identification. However, despite its importance, the question of postmortem interval estimation is often answered with a low degree of accuracy as compared to the rates of certainty within other forensic disciplines. While there are various methods that may be utilized for answering the time of death question including both scientific and investigative techniques, the variables that affect the application of these methods to death investigations are abundant. As a result, there are numerous limitations associated with time of death determination in a medicolegal death investigation and the estimation of the postmortem interval must be done with caution and deference to the many variables that affect its accuracy. This article is categorized under:Forensic Anthropology > Time Since Death EstimationForensic Medicine > Death Scene InvestigationCrime Scene Investigation > Education and Formation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Postmortem veterinary toxicology: Animal death investigation and the veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
- Author
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Romano, Megan C., Dorman, David C., and Gaskill, Cynthia L.
- Subjects
- *
VETERINARY toxicology , *AUTOPSY , *VETERINARY laboratories , *XENOBIOTICS , *TOXICOLOGISTS - Abstract
Postmortem veterinary toxicology shares challenges with human postmortem toxicology, including the necessity of analyzing a wide variety of sometimes very degraded samples for many disparate compounds. In veterinary toxicology, additional factors must be considered to formulate an appropriate testing strategy for each case. Major qualitative and quantitative species differences in response to some toxicants result in different toxicological differential lists for a given clinical presentation. The animal's environment will also influence the types of xenobiotics to which it might be exposed. Diagnostic veterinary toxicologists are veterinary medical specialists who apply their knowledge of veterinary medicine, toxicology, and analytical chemistry, to formulate and interpret results of a toxicologic testing strategy in potential poisoning cases. Animal death investigations require collaboration between veterinary diagnostic laboratory personnel (e.g., veterinary pathologists, veterinary toxicologists, and analytical chemists), veterinary practitioners, and animal owners to successfully diagnose poisoning cases. This article is categorized under:Toxicology > Post‐Mortem ToxicologyToxicology > Plants and Poisons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Cold Case Experiment Demonstrates the Potential Utility of Aquatic Microbial Community Assembly in Estimating a Postmortem Submersion Interval.
- Author
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Kaszubinski, Sierra F., Receveur, Joseph P., Wydra, Breanna, Smiles, Katelyn, Wallace, John R., Babcock, Nicholas J., Weatherbee, Courtney R., and Benbow, Mark Eric
- Subjects
- *
MICROBIAL communities , *SWINE carcasses , *AQUATIC habitats , *ANIMAL carcasses , *FORENSIC pathology , *RAIN forests - Abstract
Microbial community assembly (MCA) of both human and nonhuman animal carcasses provides indicators useful for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) in terrestrial settings. However, there are fewer studies estimating postmortem submersion intervals (PMSIs) in aquatic habitats. No aquatic studies to date assessed MCA in the context of a death investigation, with all previous studies focusing on important basic ecological questions. Within the context of a cold case investigation, we performed an experiment using replicate adult swine carcasses to describe postmortem MCA variability within a nonflowing aquatic habitat. Using high‐throughput sequencing of carcass postmortem microbiomes, we described MCA variability and identified key taxa associated with decomposition in an aquatic habitat similar to the cold case body recovery site. We also modeled key taxa for estimating PMSIs, modeling within ±3 days (mean square error) postmortem using random forest regression. Our findings show significant changes in microbial communities as decomposition progressed, and several taxa were identified as important indicator taxa which may be useful for future estimates of PMSI. While descriptive, this study provides initial findings quantifying MCA variability within a nonflowing aquatic habitat. Within the context of the cold case investigation, we discuss how postmortem microbial samples collected at the time of body recovery could have been an important piece of evidence for understanding the PMSI of recovered remains. Additional experimental studies are needed to explicitly test and identify mechanisms associated with postmortem MCA variability in other habitats and under different temperature (e.g., seasons) conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Elevator‐Related Deaths.
- Author
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Prahlow, Joseph A., Ashraf, Zuhha, Plaza, Natalie, Rogers, Christopher, Ferreira, Pamela, Fowler, David R., Blessing, Melissa M., Wolf, Dwayne A., Graham, Michael A., Sandberg, Kelly, Brown, Theodore T., and Lantz, Patrick E.
- Subjects
- *
ELEVATORS , *CONSTRUCTION workers , *TALL buildings , *FORENSIC pathology , *FORENSIC sciences - Abstract
Elevators are mechanical transportation devices used to move vertically between different levels of a building. When first developed, elevators lacked the safety features. When safety mechanisms were developed, elevators became a common feature of multistory buildings. Despite their well‐regarded safety record, elevators are not without the potential for danger of injury or death. Persons at‐risk for elevator‐related death include maintenance and construction workers, other employees, and those who are prone to risky behavior. Deaths may be related to asphyxia, blunt force, avulsion injuries, and various forms of environmental trauma. In this review, we report on 48 elevator‐related deaths that occurred in nine different medicolegal death investigation jurisdictions within the United States over an approximately 30‐year period. The data represents a cross‐section of the different types of elevator‐related deaths that may be encountered. The review also presents an overview of preventive strategies for the purpose of avoiding future elevator‐related fatalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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40. Dreizehn Jahre tot in Wohnung – Resümee einer Nottüröffnung.
- Author
-
Wolter, D., Ron, A., Püschel, K., and Edler, C.
- Abstract
Copyright of Rechtsmedizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. An Interesting Case of Accidental Smothering in an Unusual Place
- Author
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Yadav, Abhishek, Kumar, Mahesh, Debbarma, Antara, and Gupta, Sudhir Kumar
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
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42. Transnational comparison of the impact of COVID-19 on medicolegal death investigations and the administration of justice: Early stages of the pandemic.
- Author
-
Lam VC, King S, Fabian SC, and Anderson GS
- Abstract
COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on arguably every sector of our criminal justice system. To assess the impact that this global health crisis has had on our medicolegal investigations and administration of justice during the early stages of the pandemic, this research aims to give voice to the lived experiences of medicolegal death investigators (coroners, medical examiners and pathologists). This research involved in-depth interviews and follow-ups with experienced personnel from Canada (3), Italy (1), the United Kingdom (1) and the United States (4). Results suggest that despite facing similar challenges, each individual office has had to develop their own strategies to overcome obstacles during the early stages of the pandemic. These results help identify overlapping areas for constructive policy and procedural changes, including recommendations for workflow adaptations, strategic partnerships and other approaches to best prepare for subsequent health crises., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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43. Comparing Solved and Unsolved No-Body Homicides in Australia: An Exploratory Analysis.
- Author
-
Ferguson, Claire and Pooley, Kamarah
- Subjects
- *
HOMICIDE , *MOTIVATION (Psychology) , *MISSING persons , *POLICE discretion - Abstract
Factors that are both within and outside of police discretion can pose challenges to solving homicides generally. There has been little study of no-body homicides, nor why some remain unresolved. This analysis compares solved and unsolved no-body homicides in Australia using Pearson's chi-square tests of independence. Coroners' findings, case law, and media reports from 1983 to 2017 were examined. Cases (N = 55; 42.4% solved) differed based on the victim's age, who reported them missing, reward money, Coronial inquests, who determined homicide, availability of evidence and confessions, suspects lying, establishing crime scenes, and motivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Post-mortem diagnosis of kidney impairment: An experimental study.
- Author
-
Maskell, Peter D., Penney, Elizabeth, Smith, Paul R., Hikin, Laura J., and Morley, Stephen R.
- Subjects
- *
KIDNEY diseases , *AUTOPSY , *BLOODSTAIN pattern analysis , *FORENSIC toxicology , *FORENSIC sciences - Abstract
The determination of the role that drugs may have played in a death is an important part of the investigation into unexplained deaths. Renal impairment may lead to a reduction in drug excretion rate and therefore an accumulation of drugs or metabolites, leading to possible toxic or lethal effects. Creatinine levels are known to be stable in the post mortem period and in life can give an indication of kidney function. There are however widely reported limitations when using creatinine in isolation and so we investigated the usefulness of using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for scoring an individual as having renal impairment using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula. We analysed unpreserved vitreous for creatinine in 812 individuals using an isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID-MS) traceable enzymatic. We found that the biochemical analysis of post mortem vitreous creatinine and subsequent calculation of eGFR is a useful adjunct to the standard testing that takes place during a post-mortem examination and can assist in death investigation. Using an eGFR of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 gave a sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 97.3% when scoring an individual as having renal impairment. We therefore recommend the calculation of eGFR for the determination of possible renal impairment in post mortem investigations. It is, of course, always pertinent to interpret any results using a wealth of case information. Extreme caution should be exercised in cases where insufficient clinical information/history is available, particularly in cases in which there is suspected diabetic ketoacidosis, dehydration or hospitalisation prior to death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Australian no-body homicides: Exploring common features of solved cases.
- Author
-
Ferguson, Claire and Pooley, Kamarah
- Abstract
Offenders successfully disposing of a homicide victim's body creates challenges to the criminal justice process, yet no research literature exists on no-body homicide cases. We explored 25 solved homicides in Australia where no part of the victim's body was recovered. Coroners' findings, case law, and media reports from 1983 to 2017 were examined qualitatively and descriptively. Features of the cases differed based on whether the homicide was related to organized crime, serial sexual offences, or domestic violence. Challenges posed by each type of case are discussed and opportunities for solving these cases are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. A Forensic Entomological Analysis Can Yield an Estimate of Postmortem Interval, and Not Just a Minimum Postmortem Interval: An Explanation and Illustration Using a Case.
- Author
-
Wells, Jeffrey D.
- Subjects
- *
FORENSIC sciences , *FORENSIC entomology , *FORENSIC medicine , *FORENSIC pathologists , *FORENSIC anthropology - Abstract
Several authors claimed that a forensic entomological analysis can never be interpreted as the postmortem interval (PMI), but that it can be interpreted as a minimum postmortem interval (PMImin), or dead for not less than X amount of time. Because in most instances, a PMI estimate should be a range, that is, the set of values from maximum postmortem interval (PMImax) to PMImin, objections to PMI estimation are objections to PMImax estimation. The arguments for this position did not address the substantial body of literature describing estimation of both PMImax and PMImin using insect succession analysis. This report reviews the scientific issues and presents a recent homicide investigation in which several forensic entomology experts used the absence of carrion insects on the corpse, a kind of succession analysis, to estimate PMI or PMImax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Forensically aware offenders and homicide investigations: challenges, opportunities and impacts.
- Author
-
Ferguson, Claire
- Subjects
- *
HOMICIDE investigation , *MURDERERS , *CRIME scenes , *CRIMINALS , *DECEPTION - Abstract
Offender forensic awareness may negatively impact on an investigation. The detection avoidance behaviours of 22 police-trained murderers were examined. Offenders with forensic awareness appear to use many detection avoidance strategies depending on their relationship with the victim and whether they stage the crime scene. Common themes included body disposal; planning and making threats to kill; a history of deception; and interfering with the investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. The Potential Use of 2-Aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic Acid (ATCA) as a Forensic Marker for Cyanide Exposure in Medicolegal Death Investigation: A Review.
- Author
-
Li, S. Y., Petrikovics, I., and Yu, J. (C. C.)
- Subjects
- *
AUTOPSY , *CYANIDES , *FORENSIC pathology , *POISONS , *PROOF & certification of death , *CAUSES of death , *DEATH - Abstract
Cyanide (CN) is one of the most toxic of all substances and can be found in various natural and anthropogenic sources. Sensitive and effective methods for the confirmation of CN exposure are crucial in medical, military, and forensic settings. Due to its high volatility and reactivity, direct detection of CN from postmortem samples could raise inconclusive interpretation issues that may hinder accurate determination of the cause of death. The detection of the alternative CN metabolites as markers to test CN exposure may offer a solution to reduce the potential for false-negative and false-positive results. 2-Aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA) is a minor metabolite of CN and has been proposed to be a potential alternative forensic marker for the confirmation of CN exposure. According to the current state of knowledge, ATCA has not yet been associated with other metabolic pathways except for CN detoxification. Moreover, ATCA is stable under various conditions over time. This article reviews analytical methods developed for the analysis of ATCA as well as studies related to potential use of ATCA as a marker for the diagnosis of CN exposure. The need for research related to the use of ATCA as a reliable forensic marker for CN exposure in medicolegal death investigations is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
49. Suicide Deaths in China: An Analysis of Forensic Cases
- Author
-
Dong Zhao, Longlong Wang, Kun Wang, Zhimin Wang, and Eradil Orazhkan
- Subjects
Death investigation ,forensic medicine ,suicide ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Suicide cases are often encountered during death investigations in forensic medicine. In this study, through a comparative analysis of our own data of 98 suicide cases and previous reports from various forensic institutions in China, we analyzed the risk factors of Chinese suicides and explored the implications thereof from a forensic point of view. Moreover, the age and sex differences, means, causes, and other concerns regarding suicide are discussed along with a review of the literature.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. A retrospective comparative study to evaluate the reliability of post-mortem interval sources in UK and US medico-legal death investigations
- Author
-
Stephanie B. Giles, David Errickson, and Nicholas Márquez-Grant
- Subjects
Death investigation ,Decomposition ,Post-mortem interval ,Variables ,Postmortem Changes ,Humans ,Reproducibility of Results ,Autopsy ,Reliability ,United Kingdom ,Crime scene ,Retrospective Studies ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine - Abstract
Post-mortem interval (PMI) information sources may be subject to varying degrees of reliability that could impact the level of confidence associated with PMI estimations in forensic taphonomy research and in the practice of medico-legal death investigation. This study aimed to assess the reliability of PMI information sources in a retrospective comparative analysis of 1813 cases of decomposition from the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner in Pittsburgh, US (n = 1714), and the Crime Scene Investigation department at Southwest Forensics in the UK (n = 99). PMI information sources were subjected to a two-stage evaluation using an adapted version of the 3x5 aspects of the UK police National Intelligence Model (NIM) to determine the confidence level associated with each source. Normal distribution plots were created to show the distribution frequency of the dependent variables (decomposition stage and source evaluation) by the independent variable of PMI. The manner, location, and season of death were recorded to ascertain if these variables influenced the reliability of the PMI. A confidence matrix was then created to assess the overall reliability and provenance of each PMI information source. Reliable PMI sources (including forensic specialists, missing persons reports, and digital evidence) were used across extensive PMI ranges (1 to 2920 days in the US, and 1 to 240 days in the UK) but conferred a low incidence of use with forensic specialists providing a PMI estimation in only 35% of all homicide cases. Medium confidence PMI sources (e.g., last known social contact) accounted for the majority of UK (54%, n = 54) and US (82%, n = 1413) cases and were associated with shorter PMIs and natural causes of death. Low confidence PMI sources represented the lowest frequencies of UK and US cases and exclusively comprised PMI information from scene evidence. In 96% of all cases, only one PMI source was reported, meaning PMI source corroboration was overall very low (4%). This research has important application for studies using police reports of PMI information to validate PMI estimation models, and in the practice of medico-legal death investigation where it is recommended that i) the identified reliable PMI sources are sought ii) untested or unreliable PMI sources are substantiated with corroborating PMI information, iii) all PMI sources are reported with an associated degree of confidence that encapsulates the uncertainty of the originating source.
- Published
- 2022
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