Certifying Death in the United States

Accurately identifying death and its causes is integral to the compilation of mortality data and ultimately to the operation of the criminal justice and public health systems. A clear understanding of who is in charge of such processes is paramount to establishing the quality, or lack thereof, of the information provided in death certificates. Our study provides a comprehensive overview of all state statutes identifying death investigators charged with classifying and certifying death in the United States. We found that state statutes designate a broad range of individuals as responsible for the classification and certification of death. Those vary by state and set of circumstances and can include medical examiners, coroners, pathologists, other physicians, registered nurses, and more. Our findings highlight the important need for a unified standard of qualifications in the medico‐legal system, as well as, regulatory reform at the state level regarding who can complete and sign death certificates.     

Fatal Hemorrhage from an Arteriovenous Fistula

In this study, we present two cases of sudden deaths of people with end‐stage kidney with arteriovenous fistulas for long‐term hemodialysis treatment. This procedure is associated with a number of known complications. While stenosis, thrombosis, and infection are well known, lethal hemorrhage from arteriovenous fistula is much less commonly encountered. Inspection of the bodies at the scene of the death by a medical examiner suggested that the deaths were due to exsanguination. Autopsies revealed visible defects on the front wall of the arteriovenous fistulas. Microscopic examination showed wall necrosis with infiltration of various inflammatory cells. Deaths were due to exsanguination from the ulcerated arteriovenous fistulas in patients with chronic renal failure. Further investigation revealed that complications in the area around the arteriovenous fistulas were known and were being treated until a sudden rupture of the vessels and hemorrhage from the arteriovenous fistulas resulted in the deaths.     

Victim age and capital sentencing outcomes in North Carolina (1977–2009)

Age is prominent among theories of criminology and victimology. It is less conspicuous in punishment theory, despite its emphasis in retributive theory and lawmaking. The present study evaluated competing ‘years of life lost’ and ‘vulnerable victim’ hypotheses to examine the influence of victim age in capital sentencing decisions. Using case file data on the population of capital murder trials in the State of North Carolina (1977–2009), our findings produce mixed results. Our quantitative analyses suggest that death sentences are significantly less likely in direct proportion to victim age. Killers of elderly victims are less likely to receive the death penalty; conversely, the odds of a death sentences are slightly greater for killers of child victims. Supplementary qualitative analyses suggest that while many child and elderly victims were not per se ‘vulnerable,’ a substantial subset of each clearly were treated as such. We discuss implications for vulnerable victim research and the role of quasi-legal factors in case outcomes.     

亲属间死亡赔偿请求权研究——兼论亲属间伤害赔偿

亲属间一方导致另一方伤害或者死亡,受害者本人或者其近亲属的损害赔偿权利与侵权法的价值并不契合,所以对亲属间的死亡赔偿请求权应予以适当限制。赔偿权利人只限于死者一亲等亲属,并且赔偿只限于加害人故意的情形下。直系血亲间一方致另一方死亡,死者近亲属不得提起赔偿请求。在处理此类案件时,还应注意赔偿与相关当事人的权利、责任的冲突问题并予以适当协调。     

浅析涉及患者死亡的医疗事故技术鉴定

涉及患者死亡的医疗事故属于一级医疗事故,其技术鉴定能否做到公正的意义重大。对于这类鉴定的主要形式应是医学会组织的技术鉴定,辅助形式是法医司法鉴定。为了确保鉴定结果更加公正．科学,应加大法医参与涉及患者死亡的医疗事故技术鉴定的力度。     

新生儿呼吸系统疾病死亡的法医病理学分析

目的分析和探讨呼吸系统疾病引起新生儿死亡的病理学特点,为法医学死亡原因鉴定和相关医疗纠纷鉴定提供科学依据。方法回顾性总结分析1993～2008年16年间攀枝花市公安局尸检档案中85例新生儿死亡案例。结果呼吸系统疾病是引起新生儿死亡的首要因素（共56例,占65.88%）,其中新生儿吸入性肺炎20例（23.53%）、新生儿感染性肺炎14例（16.47%）、新生儿窒息12例（14.12%）、新生儿肺透明膜病6例（7.59%）、新生儿肺出血4例（4.71%）。结论新生儿尸检应重视呼吸系统的检查,根据新生儿发病特点和肺部病理变化明确临床诊断和死亡原因。     

Nitrous Oxide Determination in Postmortem Biological Samples: A Case of Serial Fatal Poisoning in a Public Hospital*

Abstract: In a public hospital, eight cases of fatal poisoning by nitrous oxide (N₂O) occurred under oxygen administration, due to an erroneous swapping of the lines in the gas system. The aim of the study was to clarify the factors involved in asphyxia by characterizing gases from different lines and measuring N₂O concentrations in postmortem biological samples from bodies exhumed. Analyses carried out on the gas system confirmed the erroneous substitution of O₂ line with N₂O and air line with O₂. Consequently, high N₂O amounts were revealed in several tissues and gaseous biological samples. All specimens were analyzed by headspace gas chromatography technique. A rigorous quantitative analysis was possible only in blood (11.29–2152.04 mg/L) and urine (95.11 mg/L) and in air samples from stomach and trachea (from 5.28 to 83.63 g/m³). This study demonstrates that N₂O can be detected in biological samples even 1 month after death.     

Natural,Unexpected Deaths: Reliability of a Presumptive Diagnosis*

Abstract: We retrospectively analyzed 100 deaths because of suspicions and concerns expressed by the family. We compared the preautopsy cause of death, as determined by a thorough review of the clinical data and circumstances, to the autopsy‐derived cause of death. In the majority (91/100), the preautopsy and postautopsy proximate causes of death were in agreement. In 9%, the autopsy provided information that resulted in a proximate cause of death different than anticipated. In four instances, the manner of death also was incorrect and was determined to be an accident rather than the originally presumed natural. No homicide or suicide would have been misclassified. In another nine instances, where the premortem and postmortem proximate causes of death were in agreement, the autopsy provided a specific mechanism of death. With a quality initial medicolegal death investigation, a subset of sudden deaths in adults may be reliably certified without an autopsy.     

青壮年猝死综合征心肌细胞内Cx43的表达

目的观察连接蛋白43（Cx43）在青壮年猝死综合征（SMDS）者心肌细胞的表达,并探讨其法医学意义。方法筛选法医尸检案例45例,其中SMDS组、冠心病猝死组及对照组各15例。采用免疫组织化学和图像分析技术对不同组别Cx43蛋白在心肌细胞内的表达进行阳性单位（PU）定量检测,分析Cx43蛋白在各组表达的差异。所得数据进行统计学分析。结果 SMDS组心肌Cx43染色明显减弱,阳性着色条带分布不均、深浅不一,有的呈散在颗粒状;冠心病猝死组亦见类似变化;对照组未见明显变化。经统计分析发现,3组心肌细胞内Cx43表达的PU值存在显著性差异（P〈0.05）。结论 SMDS死前存在心肌缺血及心电紊乱,应属心性猝死范畴。     

An Autopsy Case of Sudden Unexplained Death Caused by Malaria*

Abstract: Sudden unexplained deaths, especially those unwitnessed can lead to forensic issues and would necessitate the need for a meticulous and complete postmortem examination including ancillary investigations to discover the cause of death. We herein report a case of sudden unexplained death caused by malaria in an apparently healthy individual. This fatal case is presented to remind the forensic pathologist of the possibility of malaria as a cause of sudden unexplained death in malaria‐endemic regions. In the present case, histopathological examination demonstrated the presence of parasitized red blood cells with malarial pigment in the blood capillaries in the brain, myocardium, pericardium, lungs, kidneys, liver, and the spleen. Cerebral malaria with acute renal insufficiency or pulmonary edema with an acute respiratory distress syndrome might have been the cause of death.