King County Navigation Bar (text navigation at bottom)
Public Health - Seattle & King County
Site Directory

Public Health Webpage Directory

Public Health Center & Office Locations

For Care Providers

Health Advisories & Resources

For Educators

Health Educators Toolbox

About Us

History & Profile

Jobs

Employee Directory

Contact Us

Public Health
Seattle & King County
401 5th Ave., Suite 1300
Seattle, WA 98104

Click here to email us

Phone: 206-296-4600
TTY Relay: 711

magnifying glass Advanced Search
Search Tips
Home » King County Medical Examiner » 2005 Annual Report

King County Medical Examiner's Office
2005 Annual Report

Adobe Acrobat Reader icon

The 2005 Annual Report is formatted Adobe Acrobat PDF. You will need Acrobat Reader installed to view PDFs. Download and install Acrobat Reader for free.

square bullet

Full 2005 Medical Examiner's Annual Report (761 Kb)


Split out by chapter below with descriptions of each section:

green square bullet

Dedication, Table of Contents and Forward

arrow We recognize that each case in this report represents the death of a person whose absence is grieved by friends and relatives. To those people who have suffered the loss of a friend or relative, we dedicate this report.

green square bullet Explanation of Data
arrow The information presented here was compiled on deaths in which the King County Medical Examiner assumed jurisdiction during the calendar year 2005. This report emphasizes the role of alcohol, drugs, and firearm use in violent deaths.

green square bullet Ten Year Perspective
arrow This section provides a ten-year perspective on deaths that the Medical Examiner investigated and variation in data from year to year.

green square bullet Death by Accident
arrow The Medical Examiner certified 602 deaths as non-traffic accidents for the calendar year 2005. The largest group of accidental deaths was those who died as a result of a fall, 38% (230/602).

green square bullet Death by Homicide
arrow The Medical Examiner classifies a death as a homicide when the death results from injuries inflicted by another person. During 2005, the Medical Examiner classified 80 deaths as homicide.

green square bullet Death by Natural Causes
arrow The Medical Examiner assumes jurisdiction over deaths that are classified as natural due to the sudden and unexpected nature of the death in an apparently healthy individual, when there is no physician who has knowledge or awareness of the decedent’s condition, when there is no next of kin to make disposition, or when there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

green square bullet Death by Suicide
arrow Suicides are those deaths caused by self-inflicted injuries with evidence of intent to end one’s life. Evidence of intent includes an explicit expression, such as a suicide note or verbal threat, or an act constituting implicit intent, such as deliberately placing a gun to one’s head or rigging a vehicle’s exhaust.

green square bullet Death by Traffic
arrow During the calendar year 2005, the Medical Examiner's Office participated in the investigation of 226 traffic fatalities. There were 152 traffic deaths where the collision occurred in King County, compared to 127 in 2004, 112 in 2003, 121 in 2002 and 142 in 2001.

green square bullet Undetermined Cause of Death
arrow The King County Medical Examiner’s Office certifies a manner of death as Undetermined when available information regarding the circumstances of death is insufficient to classify the death into one of the specific manners of natural or unnatural death (Accident, Homicide, or Suicide).

green square bullet Deaths Due to Drugs and Poison
arrow In 2005, drugs and poisons caused 273 deaths (excluding 18 deaths due to carbon monoxide). This comprised approximately 14% of all deaths investigated (273/1,945).

green square bullet Deaths Due to Firearms
arrow The Medical Examiner is responsible for investigating all deaths due to firearms that occur in King County. Medical Examiner data relate primarily to the victim because information regarding the weapon and the shooter is often unknown.

green square bullet Causes of Death in Children and Youth
arrow In 2005, the King County Medical Examiner's Office investigated 101 deaths of children and youth ages 19 years or younger, which represented 5% (101/1,945) of the total deaths investigated.

green square bullet Medical Examiner Activity
arrow The Medical Examiner's Office staff are involved in a wide variety of activities commensurate with the mission of the office including responding to and investigating the scene of death, performing postmortem examinations, certifying the cause and manner of death, and providing information and assistance to families.

green square bullet Glossary of Terms

Updated: Friday, December 29, 2006 at 10:44 AM

All information is general in nature and is not intended to be used as a substitute for appropriate professional advice. For more information please call 206-296-4600 (voice) or TTY Relay: 711. Mailing address: ATTN: Communications Team, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 401 5th Ave., Suite 1300, Seattle, WA 98104 or click here to email us. Because of confidentiality concerns, questions regarding client health issues cannot be responded to by e-mail. Click here for the Notice of Privacy Practices. For more information, contact the Public Health Privacy Office at 206-205-5975.

King County | Public Health | News | Services | Comments | Search

Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County.
By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms
and conditions of the site. The details.