KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County's Medical Examiner's Office released its annual report on investigated deaths and death trends in 2005. Of the 1,945 deaths investigated by the Medical Examiner, there were 80 homicides, 226 fatal traffic crashes, 602 other kinds of fatal accidents (injuries), 233 suicides and 273 drug/poison deaths.

“The King County Medical Examiner’s Office provides a very important service that helps us better understand how deaths in our community happen. This allows us to plan efforts to prevent early deaths and improve the health of our community,” said King County Executive Ron Sims.

“The Medical Examiner investigates all sudden, unexpected, suspicious and violent deaths,” said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. “Knowing the circumstances and risk factors leading to early and unintentional death will help us put measures in place to prevent them.”

“The countless hours of time our staff spends investigating deaths helps grieving family members understand how and why their loved one died and, hopefully, find some closure,” said Dr. Richard Harruff, Chief Medical Examiner. “These also help to speed up settlement of insurance claims and estates, and assure that any necessary criminal or civil actions are taken.”

The full report is available online at: www.metrokc.gov/health/examiner. All deaths investigated by the Medical Examiner occurred in King County, including deaths where the incident leading to the death occurred outside of King County. In such cases, the injured person most often was transported to a hospital in King County, where the death occurred. The Medical Examiner does not investigate deaths of King County residents who die in another county.

Of all King County deaths (12,937) in 2005, 8,527 or 66% were reported to the Medical Examiner. Based on review of the circumstances surrounding the death, the Medical Examiner investigated 1,945 of these reported deaths.

Some key findings in the death investigations:

• 233 suicides. The number of deaths due to suicide in 2005 was roughly the same as in 2004 when 229 suicides were reported. Ninety-six (41%) of the suicides in 2005 were by the use of firearms, one more than in 2004. Forty-two (18%) were due to hanging, and 39 (17%) were due to drugs/poisons. There were eight suicides of youths 19 years of age and younger. Fifty (22%) were adults aged 60 or older.
  
  In order to reduce the incidence of youth and adult suicides, Public Health recommends educating parents, peers, children of elderly parents, and professionals that care—and provide services for children and the elderly—about the warning signs of suicide and available resources. Information is available at http://www.yspp.org. Public Health is a partner in the LOKITUP Campaign, and the campaign partners recommend storing all firearms locked and unloaded to help reduce suicide risk, particularly among youth.
  
  
• 273 drug-caused deaths. The number of drug-caused deaths in 2005 has decreased slightly from 2004 when there were 278 drug-caused deaths reported. The 273 deaths that occurred in 2005 represent a 65 percent increase compared to 2001 and a 20 percent increase compared to 2003. The biggest increase has occurred in deaths that involved prescription-type opiates. Deaths involving prescription opiates such as Oxycodone have more than doubled since 2001.
  
  
• 80 homicides. In comparison, 2004 had 76 homicides. In 2005, sixty-eight of the homicides were the result of incidents that occurred within King County. Of the 80 homicides in 2005, forty-seven of the homicides were due to the use of firearms.
  
  
• 226 fatal traffic crashes. This number includes motor vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians or bicycle riders. There were 152 deaths in 2005 due to traffic crashes in King County, compared to 127 deaths due to crashes in King County in 2004. Of motor vehicle occupants killed, 99 (44%) were drivers. Of cases in which restraint status was known, 32 drivers (37%) in vehicle deaths were not restrained. There were 47 pedestrians among the 226 fatal traffic deaths in 2005.
  
  The King County Traffic Safety Coalition, a multi-agency group spearheaded by Public Health’s Violence & Injury Prevention Unit, works to alleviate the leading causes of traffic fatalities. These causes include speed, intoxication, and failure to wear seat belts. Coalition efforts include organizing interagency DUI (driving under the influence) emphasis patrols, and increasing public awareness of traffic safety issues.
  
  
• 602 other kinds of fatal accidents or unintentional injuries. Ninety-seven of these cases were the result of incidents that occurred outside of King County. The most common cause of accidental death was falls (230); 185 of the deaths caused by falls occurred in the age group 70 years and over. The next most common cause of accidental death was drugs and poisons (216). Drowning (19) and burns (26) were also common causes of unintentional injuries.
  
  Public Health's Emergency Medical Services Division and local fire departments work to reduce seniors falling in the home, which can result in fractures that subsequently lead to fatal health complications while convalescing. It is especially important that those who work with seniors and seniors themselves recognize that fall-related risks increase with age.
  
  Also, Public Health’s Violence & Injury Prevention Unit chairs the Seattle-King County Drowning Prevention Coalition. The Coalition uses a multi-faceted approach to prevent drowning deaths. They promote these primary messages: know the water, know your limits, and wear a lifejacket when wading, swimming or boating in or around open water. The coalition also recommends diligent supervision of children around all water, swimming at lifeguarded pools and beaches, and appropriate fencing of all swimming pools.

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.

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