Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38683282›Full record

ArticleForensic science, medicine, and pathology2025

Enhanced autopsy triage (EA-Triage) in drug-related deaths: integrating quick toxicological analysis and postmortem computed tomography.

Lea Wold Kisbye, Annika Rickert, Jørgen Bo Hasselstrøm, Charlotte Uggerhøj Andersen, Henriette Askjær Lund, Marianne Cathrine Rohde, Lene Warner Thorup Boel

Abstract read
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Article in Forensic science, medicine, and pathology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lea Wold KisbyeDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark. leki@forens.au.dk.ORCID 0009-0006-6100-105X
Annika RickertDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.
Jørgen Bo HasselstrømDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-5928-9238
Charlotte Uggerhøj AndersenDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-0543-6519
Henriette Askjær LundDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.
Marianne Cathrine Rohde *Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-9293-3865
Lene Warner Thorup Boel *Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul- Jensens Boulevard 99, Aarhus N, 8200, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-4654-6960

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The objective was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of an enhanced autopsy triage (EA-Triage) setup consisting of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), simulated quick toxicological analysis (sQTA), external examination, and case information in determining cause of death (COD) in persons with past or current use of illegal drugs (drug-related deaths). Information on drug-related deaths selected for medico-legal autopsy in 2020-2021 at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark, was analyzed retrospectively. The included cases underwent conventional autopsy, PMCT, and systematic toxicological analysis. A board-certified forensic pathologist, who was blinded to the internal examination and COD from the medico-legal autopsy, determined COD based on the EA-Triage setup. 154 cases with a median age of 40.6 years (range 17-70 years, 82% males) were included. The COD determined by medico-legal autopsy and that determined by EA-Triage matched in 113 cases (73%), including those with an unknown COD. EA-Triage and medico-legal autopsy determined unknown COD in 45 (29%) and 5 cases (3%), respectively. Excluding cases with an unknown COD, EA-Triage predicted COD in 109 cases (71%); of those, 72 (66%) had no unexplained case circumstances or suspicion of a criminal act. In these 72 cases, the CODs determined by EA-Triage and medico-legal autopsy matched in 71 cases (99%), and the sensitivity and specificity for detecting lethal intoxication were 100% and 90%, respectively. EA-Triage showed strong diagnostic accuracy for determining COD in drug-related deaths. This method may be suitable for enhancing preautopsy triage and guiding police investigations at an early stage.

Indexed as

Substance-Related DisordersTomography, X-Ray ComputedTriageAdolescentAdultAgedAutopsyCause of DeathDenmarkFemaleForensic ToxicologyHumansIllicit DrugsMaleMiddle AgedPostmortem ImagingIllicit DrugsAutopsy triageCause of deathForensic pathologyForensic toxicologyPostmortem computed tomographyQuick toxicological analysis

Identifiers

PMID38683282
PMCPMC11953209

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.