Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) The coroner shall investigate the death
of and perform an autopsy on any child under two years of age that dies
suddenly when in apparent good health unless a court with jurisdiction
determines under section
313.131 of the Revised Code that
an autopsy is contrary to the religious beliefs of the child. The coroner shall
investigate the death and perform the autopsy by conducting the following:
(1) An investigation of the site where the
child was found dead and indicating, if the information is available, whether
the child was observed to die, when the child was last seen alive, the place of
death, the circumstances under which the child was found dead and by whom, the
position of the child when found, and the identity of all individuals who
attempted to resuscitate the child;
(2) A complete medical history of the child,
including, if the information is available, the child's date of birth, birth
weight, type of delivery, number of well-baby visits, history of major illness
including recent illness and any medical treatment, feeding history, birth
mother's prenatal history and history of any drug use, whether any siblings
have suddenly died under the age of two while in apparent good health or have
died from any other cause;
(3) An
external examination of the child including noting the child's state of
nutrition and development, examining the nares and choanae, determining the
age, race, sex, body length, and body weight of the child, and evaluating the
child for evidence of rash, dehydration, anomalies, and injury;
(4) An internal examination including
evaluating the epiglottis, larynx, and trachea, and noting the presence or
absence of thymic petechiae, pleural petechiae, epicardial petechiae and fluid
blood;
(5) A microscopic
examination of any of the following that are indicated after conducting
paragraphs (A)(1) through (A)(4) of this rule, provided that a specimen is
possible to obtain:
(a) One vertical section
of the heart including the left atrium and left ventricle;
(b) One section of each lobe of both lungs;
(c) Both kidneys and adrenals;
(d) The ileum including a Peyer's
patch;
(e) The liver and pancreas;
(f) The larynx including the
epiglottis;
(g) The brain,
including the cortex, basal ganglia, mid-pons, and medulla, each to include
meninges; and
(h) The thymus; and
(6) Any other
examination or investigation that is indicated by the facts and circumstances
of the case.
(B) The
coroner shall perform the following procedures where indicated by the facts and
circumstances of the case:
(1) A total body
x-ray for evidence of repetitive battering;
(2) Biochemical determinations of sodium,
potassium, and glucose, using vitreous humor;
(3) Bacterial cultures of heart blood,
spleen, both lungs, stool, cerebrospinal fluid and larynx;
(4) Viral cultures of the heart, both lungs,
one kidney, gastrointestinal tract and brain; and
(5) A collection for testing of spinal fluid,
urine, and gastric contents, five to ten milliliters of whole blood, and
approximately ten grams of the liver. These specimens shall be examined and the
presence and levels of the following shall be determined:
(a) Common agents acting upon the central
nervous system;
(b) Salicylates;
(c) Alcohols;
(d) Carbon monoxide; and
(e) Any other agents as appropriate to the
case.
(6) Retention of
frozen liver, brain, kidney, and lung specimans for a period of at least six
months
(C) The coroner
shall report to the Ohio department of health a preliminary diagnosis of the
cause of death of any child under two years of age who died suddenly when in
apparent good health. The preliminary diagnosis shall be reported to the Ohio
department of health as soon as possible, but no later than seventy-two hours
after the death of the child and shall be made either orally, or on a form
prescribed by the director of the Ohio department of health containing the
following information:
(1) The child's name,
sex, age, race, date of birth and date of death;
(2) The child's county of residence and
county of death; and
(3) The
mother's and father's name, age, and address.
If the preliminary diagnosis is orally made to the Ohio
department of health, the coroner shall also report the preliminary diagnosis
on the form prescribed by the director and shall submit the form to the Ohio
department of health within fourteen days.
(D) If the child's parent makes a request for
the preliminary results of the autopsy, the coroner or person designated by him
shall give the parent an oral statement of the preliminary results after they
are available.
(E) The coroner
shall send written notice of the final results of the investigation and
autopsy, including the final results of examinations, investigations and
procedures required in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule, to the Ohio
department of health, the health district or department with jurisdiction in
the area in which the child's parent resides, and, upon a request of the parent
of the child, to the child's attending physician, within a reasonable time
after the final results are available. The coroner shall send written notice of
the final results to a parent upon written request.
