SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Experience at an Academic Medical Examiner's Office.
Acad Forensic Pathol
; 14(3): 87-107, 2024 Sep.
Article
de En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39246388
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a great deal of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since most deaths related to COVID-19 are currently considered natural, and they tend to occur following a clinically recognized illness, many medical examiner/coroner offices within the United States do not take jurisdiction over the majority of COVID-19 deaths.Methods:
In this review, we present the experience of a medium-sized medical examiner's office affiliated with an academic medical school institution, over the first 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.Results:
Compared to a 15-month period that immediately preceded the pandemic, our office experienced a significant increase in the total number of reported deaths, scene investigations, full autopsies, natural deaths, accidents, homicides, and drug-related deaths, but a decrease in the number of suicides. Overall, our office performed 5 autopsies during the study period where COVID-19 was considered the primary cause of death, 4 cases where COVID-19 was considered a contributory cause of death, and 28 cases where COVID-19 testing was positive, but COVID-19 was not contributory to death.Discussion:
The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a sizeable increase in work volume within our academic medical examiner's office. Although this increased workload was not related to a large number of COVID-19-related deaths investigated by the office, there were numerous areas of increased workload that were likely secondarily related to the conditions associated with the pandemic.
Texte intégral:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Base de données:
MEDLINE
Langue:
En
Journal:
Acad Forensic Pathol
Année:
2024
Type de document:
Article
Pays de publication:
États-Unis d'Amérique