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The Psychiatric Perspective
Published in Bernat-N. Tiffon, Atlas of Forensic and Criminal Psychology, 2022
Given all that has been said, this Atlas takes on even greater significance, as it becomes an invaluable technical aid for psychologists and forensic pathologists—a real milestone for the field. These professionals are under the pressure of having to comment on the mental health of a person or persons subject to judicial scrutiny. Diagnosing a mental disorder is incredibly difficult, but it is even more difficult to speculate on a case in which killing someone or killing oneself plays a central part.
Introduction
Published in Kevin L. Erskine, Erica J. Armstrong, Water-Related Death Investigation, 2021
After the coroner or medical examiner, the forensic pathologist is the primary individual responsible for the collation and interpretation of all information, including autopsy and toxicological test results, for the purpose of determination of cause and manner of death. A forensic pathologist is a specially trained pathologist who has completed an additional one to two years of training in forensic pathology and has specific knowledge in the identification and interpretation of recent and remote injury and acute and chronic diseases and their sequelae. The autopsy is one of the forensic pathologist’s tools for uncovering signs of injury and disease. The interpretation of autopsy findings, along with toxicology test results, medical history, and all available investigative information, allows for the most accurate determination of cause and manner of death. The forensic pathologist and other forensic scientists routinely communicate their findings to law enforcement to assist or guide them during their investigation surrounding the circumstances of a death. Communication may also take the form of pretrial meetings with attorneys and court testimony in civil or criminal proceedings. Finally, communication with members of the family provides them with the anxiously anticipated answers as to why and how their loved one died in order to at least provide understanding, if not some degree of closure.
Forensic Genetics and Genomic
Published in Cristoforo Pomara, Vittorio Fineschi, Forensic and Clinical Forensic Autopsy, 2020
Francesco Sessa, Francesca Maglietta, Alessio Asmundo, Cristoforo Pomara
Forensic scientists can be divided into three major groups: Forensic pathologists: These include medical examiners and other professionals who oversee autopsies and clinical forensic examinations.Forensic scientists: These include forensic professionals working in law enforcement, government, or private forensic laboratories.Associated scientists: These include scientific professionals lending their knowledge to forensic science, such as forensic odontologists, forensic botanists, and forensic anthropologists.
Characteristics and circumstances of volatile solvent misuse-related death in Australia, 2000–2021
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2023
Shane Darke, Emma Zahra, Johan Duflou, Amy Peacock, Michael Farrell, Julia Lappin
The National Coronial Information System is a database of medicolegal death investigation records provided by the coroners’ courts in each Australian and New Zealand jurisdiction, commencing in July 2000 for Australia (January 2001 for Queensland) and July 2007 for New Zealand. Only Australian cases were accessed in this study. A complete National Coronial Information System case file includes demographic information, a police narrative of circumstances, autopsy reports, toxicology reports and the coronial finding. Autopsy and toxicology reports are included where these procedures were undertaken. Cause of death is ascertained by a forensic pathologist and documented on the autopsy and coroner’s report. The forensic pathologist may report on: (1) the direct cause of death, (2) the antecedent cause, and (3) other significant conditions associated with the death. This advice is provided to the coroner, who makes a formal determination of cause of death based on the medical and other information.
Increased acetaminophen related calls to Finnish PIC better reflect acetaminophen sales than serious poisonings
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2018
Mikko J. Parry, Helena Isoniemi, Anna-Maria Koivusalo, Kalle Hoppu
Fatalities were analyzed from the national causes of death registry maintained by Statistics Finland. Death certificates may be filled by the treating physician in case the cause of death is due to a known disease. In all other cases, such as accidental deaths, suicides or where there is reasonable doubt, a forensic pathologist is responsible for evaluating the case. The forensic pathologist has access to the full medical record and after reviewing a case, can request an autopsy, including a full forensic chemical analysis. With this information they determine the cause of death. In case of death due to poisoning, the substance considered the most important in the intoxication is determined as cause of death [13]. We included cases where the main cause of death was determined as international classification of diseases (ICD-10) codes T36#N02BE or K71#N02BE (poisoning due to APAP and toxic hepatic reaction due to APAP, respectively) from 2000 to 2013 and manually evaluated the free-text fields describing the conditions of death in further detail. At the time of analysis, the statistics for 2014 were not available. The yearly number of suicides was obtained from Statistics of Finland.
A comparison of blood toxicology in fatalities involving alcohol and other drugs in patients with an opioid use disorder treated with methadone, buprenorphine, and implant naltrexone
Published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 2020
Erin Kelty, Gary Hulse, David Joyce
Causes of death were initially judged by the forensic pathologist, based on antemortem history, scene evidence, postmortem examination findings, postmortem toxicology, and other investigations. They were then reviewed by an experienced forensic toxicologist to judge whether the toxicological evidence supported the drugs’ proposed contribution to causation, in a manner consistent with the guidelines of the National Association of Medical Examiners and American College of Medical Toxicology Expert Panel on Evaluating and Reporting Opioid Deaths (23). Opinions were concordant in all cases, with differences only in relative importance attributed to individual drugs in a minority of multi-drug deaths.