Coroner Notification

• are "dead on arrival" to the Emergency Department
• die in the operating room
• die in the ICU
• die on the wards

All deaths must be reported to the Alameda County Coroner's Office by the declaring physician within 30 minutes of

declaration.  The declaring physician must be a licensed physician, preferably the Trauma Service Chief Resident or

Attending physician. 

A.  Provide the Sheriff's Deputy receiving the call the following information:                                        

B.  Record the following in the patient's chart after calling the Coroner's office:

II. Handling of the Body

 

II. Handling of the Body

Once a patient has been declared dead, the body is considered legal evidence by the criminal justice system.  

A. No further manipulation, instrumentation or disturbance of the body of any kind by health care personnel may

take place. 

B. No removal of  items previously placed into or on the patient is permitted, including: IVs, endotracheal tubes,

tracheostomies, Foley catheter, chest tubes, sutures, etc.  The only exceptions are surgical instruments inserted

during the course of an operation / resuscitation, such as an aortic cross-clamp, rib spreaders, hemostats, etc.

C. Under no circumstances are "teaching" resuscitative procedures to be performed (such as re-intubations, saphenous

vein cut-downs, etc.) once the patient has been declared dead.

D. Immediately notify the on-site Alameda County Sheriff's Deputy (ext. 4-4100) of the death so that he/she may

accompany the patient's body to the morgue. If prior approval from the Coroner's Office has been granted for viewing

of the body by the next of kin (see below), the Sheriff's Deputy must be present during all phases of the viewing.

III. Viewing of the Body by Next of Kin
Under the law, viewing of a body falling under the Coroner's jurisdiction (i.e. all trauma patients) is a privilege that may only

be granted by the Coroner's Deputy who takes the call from the declaring physician.  Allowing a family member to view the

body without authorization, even if no physical contact is made, subjects the responsible physician to criminal prosecution. 

 

When calling the Coroner's Office with the death declaration, ask for permission to allow viewing by next of kin.  Permission

is granted/denied depending on the probability that the death occurred as a result of criminal activity.  Since this fact is often

difficult to determine early on, most Coroner's Deputies will initially assume criminal intent and therefore will deny viewing

privileges, especially for deaths occurring soon after hospital admission.

A.  If permission is denied: do not argue - it will do no good.  Simply call the on-site Sheriff's Deputy (4-4100) and

have him/her assume control of the body, which will be transported to the morgue.

B.  If permission is granted:  Again, inform the on-site Deputy. He/she must be present during all aspects of the

viewing (to guard against possible manipulation of "evidence" by next of kin). The viewing may take place at the

bedside or in the hospital morgue, depending on the Coroner Deputy's wishes.