Position Paper: Recommendations for the Investigation, Diagnosis, and Certification of Deaths Related to Opioid and Other Drugs.

The National Association of Medical Examiners convened an expert panel to update the association's evidence-based recommendations for investigating and certifying deaths associated with opioids and other misused substances to improve death certificate and mortality data for public health surveillance. The recommendations are as follows:1. Autopsy provides the best information on a decedent's medical condition for optimal interpretation of toxicology results, circumstances surrounding death, medical history, and scene findings.

Androgens and Overall Survival in Patients With Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Treated With Docetaxel.

Background: Pre-treatment androgen levels are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treated with androgen synthesis inhibitors. The current study sought to determine whether pre-treatment serum androgens predict clinical outcome among patients with metastatic CRPC treated with docetaxel chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Data were obtained from 1050 men who were chemotherapy-naive prior to treatment with docetaxel, prednisone, and either bevacizumab or placebo (CALGB 90401).

Investigation of postmortem absorption and redistribution after the application of a fentanyl patch.

Fentanyl deaths have increased with availability of transdermal patches. Interpretation of postmortem fentanyl levels may be complicated by postmortem redistribution and absorption of fentanyl from a patch. We applied an unused 100-μg/h fentanyl patch onto the lower abdomen of a decedent with no premortem fentanyl exposure.