High prevalence of non-accidental trauma among deceased children presenting at Level I trauma centers in the Netherlands

PURPOSE: Between 0.1—3% of injured children who present at a hospital emergency department ultimately die as a result of their injuries. These events are typically reported as unnatural causes of death and may result from either accidental or non-accidental trauma (NAT). Examples of the latter include trauma that is inflicted directly or resulting from neglect. Although consultation with a forensic physician is mandatory for all deceased children, the prevalence of fatal inflicted trauma or neglect among children is currently unclear. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that included children (0–18 years) who presented and died at one of the 11 Level I trauma centers in the Netherlands between January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2019. Outcomes were classified based on the conclusions of the Child Abuse and Neglect team or those of forensic pathologists and/or the court in cases referred for legally mandated autopsies. Cases in which conclusions were unavailable and there was no clear accidental cause of death were reviewed by an expert panel. RESULTS: The study included 175 cases of childhood death. Seventeen (9.7%) of these children died due to inflicted trauma (9.7%), 18 (10.3%) due to neglect, and 140 (80%) due to accidents. Preschool children (< 5 years old) were significantly more likely to present with injuries due to inflicted trauma and neglect compared to older children (44% versus 6%, p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 5.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.66–12.65). Drowning accounted for 14 of the 18 (78%) pediatric deaths due to neglect, representing 8% of the total cases. Postmortem radiological studies and autopsies were performed on 37 (21%) of all cases of childhood death. CONCLUSION: One of every five pediatric deaths in our nationwide Level I trauma center study was attributed to NAT; 44% of these deaths were the result of trauma experienced by preschool-aged children. A remarkable number of fatal drownings were due to neglect. Postmortem radiological studies and autopsies were performed in only one-fifth of all deceased children. The limited use of postmortem investigations may have resulted in missed cases of NAT, which will result in an overall underestimation of fatal NAT experienced by children. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12024-021-00416-7

Retrospective study of 20 years of post-mortem examination of young adults

OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to gain insight into the cause of death in deceased young adults, by analyzing autopsies and other post-mortem examinations including their contribution into finding the cause of death DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHOD: Included were adults aged between 18-45 years old who underwent a clinical autopsy at the Isala Klinieken in Zwolle between January 2000 and October 2022. Included patients had a natural cause of deaths and were divided into two categories: expected and unexpected deaths. For each patient the post-mortem examination and their contribution to diagnose the cause of death were determined, among other things. Collected data was processed in a database and analyzed. RESULTS: Between January 2000 and October 2022, 212 autopsies were performed in the 18-45 age group. Of these 212 patients, 54 (25,5%) were expected deaths and 158 (74,5%) unexpected deaths. 116 patients had an unknown cause of death (7 expected vs. 109 unexpected). After post-mortem examination, this number has decreased to 15 deaths (expected 0 vs. unexpected 15). This is a reduction form 54,7% to 7,1%. Of the 96 presumed diagnoses/causes of death for autopsy, 16 (16,7%) cases were reclassified as Goldman score 1 discrepancies. CONCLUSION: Performing post-mortem examinations contributes to reducing the number of unknown causes of death. Post-mortem examinations also provide knowledge about illnesses, the clinical course of syndromes and the actual cause of death in (young) adults, even when mortality is expected

Retrospective study of 20 years of post-mortem examination of young adults

OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to gain insight into the cause of death in deceased young adults, by analyzing autopsies and other post-mortem examinations including their contribution into finding the cause of death DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHOD: Included were adults aged between 18-45 years old who underwent a clinical autopsy at the Isala Klinieken in Zwolle between January 2000 and October 2022. Included patients had a natural cause of deaths and were divided into two categories: expected and unexpected deaths. For each patient the post-mortem examination and their contribution to diagnose the cause of death were determined, among other things. Collected data was processed in a database and analyzed. RESULTS: Between January 2000 and October 2022, 212 autopsies were performed in the 18-45 age group. Of these 212 patients, 54 (25,5%) were expected deaths and 158 (74,5%) unexpected deaths. 116 patients had an unknown cause of death (7 expected vs. 109 unexpected). After post-mortem examination, this number has decreased to 15 deaths (expected 0 vs. unexpected 15). This is a reduction form 54,7% to 7,1%. Of the 96 presumed diagnoses/causes of death for autopsy, 16 (16,7%) cases were reclassified as Goldman score 1 discrepancies. CONCLUSION: Performing post-mortem examinations contributes to reducing the number of unknown causes of death. Post-mortem examinations also provide knowledge about illnesses, the clinical course of syndromes and the actual cause of death in (young) adults, even when mortality is expected

Proposal for an anonymous reporting point for organ trafficking:How transplant professionals can help prevent this trade

Patiënten reizen wereldwijd voor niertransplantaties. Zorgverleners in Nederland krijgen te maken met deze patiënten, vóór en na de transplantatie. Wij presenteren de resultaten van een enquête onder Nederlandse transplantatieprofessionals over hun ervaring met patiënten die in het buitenland zijn getransplanteerd. Vervolgens beargumenteren wij dat zorgverleners illegale transplantaties zouden moeten rapporteren. 100 van de 241 ondervraagde professionals behandelden patiënten die buiten de EU waren getransplanteerd: 31 professionals wisten zeker dat de nier gekocht was en 65 hadden vermoedens. De meerderheid ervoer een conflict van plichten. Zorgverleners kunnen een rol spelen bij het signaleren en melden van orgaanhandelnetwerken. Het doel van het melden is tweeledig. Ten eerste kan deze informatie leiden tot meer kennis over de werkwijze van orgaanhandelaren. Ten tweede kunnen politie- en justitiediensten onderzoeken of daadwerkelijk een crimineel netwerk is betrokken bij het faciliteren van deze transplantaties. Op deze manier kunnen degenen worden berecht die orgaanhandel faciliteren, zodat uitbuiting van donoren wordt voorkomen

Proposal for an anonymous reporting point for organ trafficking:How transplant professionals can help prevent this trade

Patiënten reizen wereldwijd voor niertransplantaties. Zorgverleners in Nederland krijgen te maken met deze patiënten, vóór en na de transplantatie. Wij presenteren de resultaten van een enquête onder Nederlandse transplantatieprofessionals over hun ervaring met patiënten die in het buitenland zijn getransplanteerd. Vervolgens beargumenteren wij dat zorgverleners illegale transplantaties zouden moeten rapporteren. 100 van de 241 ondervraagde professionals behandelden patiënten die buiten de EU waren getransplanteerd: 31 professionals wisten zeker dat de nier gekocht was en 65 hadden vermoedens. De meerderheid ervoer een conflict van plichten. Zorgverleners kunnen een rol spelen bij het signaleren en melden van orgaanhandelnetwerken. Het doel van het melden is tweeledig. Ten eerste kan deze informatie leiden tot meer kennis over de werkwijze van orgaanhandelaren. Ten tweede kunnen politie- en justitiediensten onderzoeken of daadwerkelijk een crimineel netwerk is betrokken bij het faciliteren van deze transplantaties. Op deze manier kunnen degenen worden berecht die orgaanhandel faciliteren, zodat uitbuiting van donoren wordt voorkomen

How does a doctor declare death?

Ward doctors in regular medical departments have to be competent in declaring the death of a patient. The majority of literature on confirmation of death focuses on special circumstances, including intensive care patients and cases involving organ donation. There is no consensus regarding the procedure and criteria for declaration of death in a 'normal' patient on a medical ward. In this article we describe the death criteria, changes that occur in the body following death, and how death can be declared in in a 'normal' patient on a medical ward and in special circumstances

The value of postmortem computed tomography in paediatric natural cause of death: a Dutch observational study

Postmortem CT is a relatively new field of interest within paediatric radiology. This paper focusses on its value in cases of unexpected natural death. We report on an observational Dutch study regarding the value of postmortem CT in children with an assumed natural unexpected death because postmortem CT is part of the Dutch NODO (additional investigations of cause of death) procedure. We included consecutive children who fulfilled criteria for the NODO procedure and were therefore referred to one of the centres for the procedure. Postmortem CT was performed in all cases and skeletal survey was performed in all children ages <5 years. The cause of death was defined in a consensus meeting. We included a total of 54 children (30 boys, median age 1.1 years, and 24 girls, median age 0.8 years). A definitive cause of death was established in 38 cases. In 7 cases the cause of death could be identified on postmortem CT. In 7 cases imaging findings were clinically relevant but did not lead to a cause of death. In the remaining 40 cases postmortem CT did not add to the diagnostic workup. Our study shows that in a group of children who unexpectedly died of an assumed natural cause of death and in whom a cause of death was found at autopsy, postmortem CT detected the cause of death in a minority of cases (12.9%). In the majority of cases (74.1%) postmortem CT did not add value in diagnosing the cause of deat