In the sixth and final webinar of the Post-mortem Computed Tomography (PMCT) webinar series, participants will be introduced to the use of PMCT in the investigation of a variety of unnatural deaths not discussed in previous webinars. Topics include overdose deaths, select asphyxial mechanisms of death, and sharp force injury.
Common PMCT findings in overdose deaths include cerebral edema, pulmonary edema, and urinary bladder distension. Less commonly, pills or drug packets may be identified by PMCT. At the New Mexico OMI, PMCT in conjunction with a point-of-care urine drug screen (UDS) is used to determine which suspected overdose deaths require a full autopsy. Full autopsy examination may be deemed less necessary in cases with a positive UDS and PMCT negative for other causes of death, provided that other investigative criteria (e.g. scene findings, age, medical history) are satisfied.