Medical examiners, coroners, and biologic terrorism: a guidebook for surveillance and case management. 2004

Kurt B Nolte, and Randy L Hanzlick, and Daniel C Payne, and Andrew T Kroger, and William R Oliver, and Andrew M Baker, and Dennis E McGowan, and Joyce L DeJong, and Micahel R Bell, and Jeannette Guarner, and Wun-Ju Shieh, and Sherif R Zaki
University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Medical examiners and coroners (ME/Cs) are essential public health partners for terrorism preparedness and response. These medicolegal investigators support both public health and public safety functions and investigate deaths that are sudden, suspicious, violent, unattended, and unexplained. Medicolegal autopsies are essential for making organism-specific diagnoses in deaths caused by biologic terrorism. This report has been created to 1) help public health officials understand the role of ME/Cs in biologic terrorism surveillance and response efforts and 2) provide ME/Cs with the detailed information required to build capacity for biologic terrorism preparedness in a public health context. This report provides background information regarding biologic terrorism, possible biologic agents, and the consequent clinicopathologic diseases, autopsy procedures, and diagnostic tests as well as a description of biosafety risks and standards for autopsy precautions. ME/Cs' vital role in terrorism surveillance requires consistent standards for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data. Familiarity with the operational, jurisdictional, and evidentiary concerns involving biologic terrorism-related death investigation is critical to both ME/Cs and public health authorities. Managing terrorism-associated fatalities can be expensive and can overwhelm the existing capacity of ME/Cs. This report describes federal resources for funding and reimbursement for ME/C preparedness and response activities and the limited support capacity of the federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team. Standards for communication are critical in responding to any emergency situation. This report, which is a joint collaboration between CDC and the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), describes the relationship between ME/Cs and public health departments, emergency management agencies, emergency operations centers, and the Incident Command System.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003334 Coroners and Medical Examiners Physicians appointed to investigate all cases of sudden or violent death. Medical Examiners,Coroners,Examiner, Medical,Examiners, Medical,Medical Examiner,Medical Examiners and Coroners,Coroner
D004189 Disaster Planning Procedures outlined for the care of casualties and the maintenance of services in disasters. Disaster Management,Emergency Preparedness,Disaster Relief Planning,Management, Disaster,Planning, Disaster,Planning, Disaster Relief,Preparedness, Emergency,Relief Planning, Disaster
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D015980 Public Health Practice The activities and endeavors of the public health services in a community on any level. Health Practice, Public,Health Practices, Public,Practice, Public Health,Practices, Public Health,Public Health Practices
D023482 Bioterrorism The use of biological agents in TERRORISM. This includes the malevolent use of BACTERIA; VIRUSES; or other BIOLOGICAL TOXINS against people, ANIMALS; or PLANTS. Biocrime,Biological Terrorism,Biocrimes,Terrorism, Biological

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