Contributions of pediatrics in identification of disaster victims

Authors

  • Eneko Barberia, MD
  • Josep Arimany, MD
  • Anna Hospital, MD
  • Juan Francisco Ortigosa, MD
  • Narcis Bardalet, MD
  • Claudina Vidal, MD
  • Eduard Aizpun, Graduate in Law and Management, MBA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2009.0010

Keywords:

human identification, disasters, minors, autopsy

Abstract

Introduction: All kinds of disasters have taken place in the world in last years. The challenge of dealing with disasters is not only the concern of disaster planners, but also of health professionals and the health system as a whole, paediatricians and forensic pathologists included.
Objective: To analyze the difficulties of application of both the positive and the presumptive criteria in the disaster identification of minor’s deaths and the possible collaboration between both specialties.
Conclusions: In a disaster with minor’s deaths, the difficulties in the application of disaster identification items affect mainly to minors who are not adolescents. Although the role of pediatrics and paediatricians is the healthcare of minors, it is advisable to have the pediatrician’s collaboration in the retrieval and gathering of the medical antemortem data.

Author Biographies

Eneko Barberia, MD

Department of Justice, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Josep Arimany, MD

Area de Praxis, Colegio Oficial de Medicos de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Anna Hospital, MD

Department of Justice, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Juan Francisco Ortigosa, MD

Department of Justice, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Narcis Bardalet, MD

Department of Justice, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Claudina Vidal, MD

Department of Justice, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Eduard Aizpun, Graduate in Law and Management, MBA

General Manager, Department of Justice, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

References

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Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS): Manejo de cadáveres en situaciones de desastre.Washington, DC: OPS, 2004.

Technical Working Group for Mass Fatality Forensic Identification: Mass fatality incidents: A guide for human forensic identification. NCJ 199758, June 2005, Special Report by National Institute of Justice, US Departament of Justice. Available at www.ncjrs.org/ pdffiles1/nij/199758.pdf. Accessed, January 26, 2009.

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Ley Orgánica 10/2007, de 8 de octubre, reguladora de la base de datos policial sobre identificadores obtenidos a partir del ADN. BOE núm.242, 9 de octubre de 2007. Available at www.boe.es/boe/dias/ 2007/10/09/pdfs/A40969-40972.pdf. Accessed January 26, 2009.

Prieto JL, Tortosa C, Bedate A, et al.: The 11 March 2004 Madrid terrorist attacks: The importance of the mortuary organisation for identification of victims. A critical review. Int J Legal Med. 2007; 121: 517-522.

Real Decreto 1553/2005, de 23 de diciembre, por el que se regula la expedición del documento nacional de identidad y sus certificados de firma electrónica. BOE núm. 307, 24 de diciembre de 2005.

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Published

03/01/2009

How to Cite

Barberia, MD, E., J. Arimany, MD, A. Hospital, MD, J. F. Ortigosa, MD, N. Bardalet, MD, C. Vidal, MD, and E. Aizpun, Graduate in Law and Management, MBA. “Contributions of Pediatrics in Identification of Disaster Victims”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, vol. 4, no. 2, Mar. 2009, pp. 69-71, doi:10.5055/ajdm.2009.0010.

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2009): March/April

Section

Editorial

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