National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper: Recommendations for the Documentation and Certification of Disaster-Related Deaths.

Collecting and reporting accurate disaster mortality data are critical to informing disaster response and recovery efforts. The National Association of Medical Examiners convened an ad hoc committee to provide recommendations for the documentation and certification of disaster-related deaths. This article provides definitions for disasters and direct, indirect, and partially attributable disaster-related deaths; discusses jurisdiction for disaster-related deaths; offers recommendations for medical examiners/coroners (ME/Cs) for indicating the involvement of the disaster on the death certificate; discusses the role of the ME/C and non-ME/C in documenting and certifying disaster-related deaths; identifies existing systems for helping to identify the role of disaster on the death certificate; and describes disaster-related deaths that may require amendments of death certificates.

Postmortem THC in decedents following legalization of recreational cannabis in Clark County, Nevada.

Marijuana is the most prevalent illicit substance used globally. With increasing US legalizing recreational marijuana, more evidence is vital to minimize potential health risks. This study was conducted to test several hypotheses regarding postmortem THC/COOH-THC in decedents before and after legalization of recreational marijuana in Nevada.

The Phenomenon of the Urban Mummy.

The environmental mummification of a body in an urban setting is an unusual event. Florida is known for its high temperatures and humidity, which typically result in the rapid putrefaction of bodies. However, under certain circumstances, Florida's climate provides an environment suitable for mummification, typically in isolated areas.

Fatalities due to indigenous and exotic species in Florida.

Florida's climate is suitable for many potentially hazardous animals, including both indigenous and exotic species, which are frequently kept as in zoos or as pets. This has resulted in many unforeseen fatal encounters between animals and the ever expanding human population. While the literature and knowledge pool for more common types of deaths referred to medical examiner/coroner's offices is abundant, the appreciation of wildlife and exotic pet-related deaths is far less widespread.

Household furniture tip-over deaths of young children.

The potential for the injury or death of a child resulting from the tip-over of a piece of household furniture or a domestic appliance has not been previously well recognized. We reviewed nine accidental deaths of young children that resulted from avoidable residential hazards and/or lapses in supervision of the children by their caregivers. The offending household items included televisions, bedroom dressers, a kitchen stove, and a lounge chair.

Parasailing fatalities in southwest Florida.

Parasailing is a recreational sport that is generally considered to be of little risk to the participants. Typically, the passenger launches from a motorboat with a specially designed winch that pulls him or her back to the boat at the end of the ride. The sport is not regulated at the federal, state, or county level.

Patterns of injury in a fatal BASE jumping accident.

Skydiving is a popular and relatively safe sport. The patterns of injury and mechanisms of death in the rare fatalities resulting from skydiving accidents have been well-documented. In contrast, BASE jumping, that is, jumping from a fixed object using a parachute, is a more dangerous and unregulated sport practiced by few individuals.

Investigative and autopsy findings in sport aircraft-related deaths in southwest Florida.

Aircraft designated for sport or recreational use only, including ultralights, experimental aircraft and light-sport aircraft, have become increasingly popular. Because of their relative safety and the rarity of fatalities resulting from crashes of these aircraft, the forensic literature contains little information concerning the pathologic findings in such deaths. We report 9 deaths resulting from 6 sport aircraft crashes in southwest Florida, 6 pilots and 3 passengers.

Alligator attacks in southwest Florida.

The American alligator inhabits bodies of fresh water in Florida and other southeastern states. Although attacks on pets are frequent, alligator attacks on humans are relatively rare because of the animal's natural fear of man. Because of the rarity of attacks on humans, the pathologic findings and pathophysiology of death in such cases have not been well characterized in the literature.