Public Health releases report on death trends for King County

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, Public Health's Medical Examiner's Office released its annual report documenting deaths and death trends for calendar year 1998. The Medical Examiner investigated 90 homicides, 199 fatal traffic accidents, 415 other kinds of fatal accidents, 201 suicides, and 229 drug deaths.

"The Medical Examiner investigates all sudden, unexpected, suspicious, and violent deaths that occur in King County," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "These investigations assist grieving families in finding closure by expediting settlement of insurance claims and estates and by assuring that appropriate criminal and civil actions are taken."

The full report is available online at www.kingcounty.gov/health/examiner

Key Findings

Of all King County deaths (12,838), 48% were reported to the Medical Examiner in 1998. Based on review of the circumstances surrounding the death, the Medical Examiner investigated 25% of these reported deaths. The Medical Examiner investigated:

• 90 homicides in 1998, a decrease from the 97 homicides investigated in 1997. Sixty-one percent of these homicides were due to the use of firearms. One case involved suspected child abuse. Twelve of the homicides were due to incidents that occurred outside of King County.
  
  
• 199 fatal traffic accidents, either motor vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians, or bicycle riders. Of the motor vehicle drivers and passengers, 66% were not wearing seat belts. Five out of six of the bicycle deaths occurred without the use of a helmet. Conversely, 90% of motorcycle riders were known to be wearing helmets.
  
  
• 415 other kinds of fatal accidents or unintentional injuries. The most common cause of accidental death was overdose of drugs and poisons (179), the highest recorded in King County (previous high of 161 in 1996). The second most common cause of accidental death was falls.
  
  
• 201 suicides, an increase from the 188 investigated in 1997, but less than the 238 investigated in 1996. The 1997 figure was the lowest number since 1984 when there were 172 suicides. Forty-seven percent of the suicides involved the use of firearms. There were 9 teenage suicides, compared to 15 teenage suicides in 1997.
  
  
• 229 drug-caused deaths in 1998, a 27% increase since 1997. Of these, 144 were caused by opiates (e.g., heroin) and 62 were caused by cocaine, most often in combination with other drugs and alcohol. The 144 opiate deaths were also a record, compared to the previous high of 134 in 1996.
  
  
• 529 deaths due to natural causes that came under the Medical Examiner's review. 276 of these deaths were due to cardiovascular disease. There were 15 cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

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