Death Investigation
Kratom: Panacea or Peril?
When I did an online search for “what is kratom?” this past week, thousands of results popped up. That wasn’t
April 12, 2026
When I did an online search for “what is kratom?” this past week, thousands of results popped up. That wasn’t
More than 100,000 people in the United States died of unintentional poisoning in 2023. Illicit stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine
Learn how coroners conduct an opioid overdose death investigation, from scene to autopsy to toxicology to death certification.
Interpreting postmortem toxicology reports is tough. Here’s what I wish I’d known when I became a coroner.
The Chester County Coroner’s office recently hosted a 2023 update on xylazine for law enforcement, first responders, emergency medical providers,
Undetermined means the manner of death remains a mystery until the coroner has more information — which may never happen.
Drug overdose deaths in children, including the very young, are on the rise. They’re much less likely to be accidental than those in adolescents and adults.
The opioid epidemic combined with a shortage of forensic pathologists is affecting the medicolegal investigation of drug deaths.