216 R.I. Code R. § 216-RICR-60-10-1.9 - Death Reporting Requirements

A. Requirements for reporting deaths to the OSME shall follow those prescribed in R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4-7.

B. In addition to those prescribed in R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4-7, the following types of occurrences must be reported:

1. All maternal deaths in which there is reasonable evidence to suspect a criminal abortion, and those deaths during or following therapeutic abortion or delivery, and all maternal deaths up to six (6) weeks following normal or abnormal delivery, and those maternal deaths after six (6) weeks if thought to be due to or resulting from any procedure involving pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum treatment.

2. All cases where the immediate cause of death may be natural disease, but where a history of an injury exists which may have been responsible for initiating the sequence of events leading to death.

3. All deaths during or following anesthesia, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures regardless of the location, procedure, and circumstances, or regardless of survival time if death is thought to be directly related to the procedure or complications resulting from said procedure.

4. All fetal deaths occurring without medical attendance or after delivery of a live born fetus following therapeutic abortion, or when inquiry is required in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-17(e).

5. All instances in which the environment of present or past employment may have caused or contributed to death by trauma or disease, including any consequence of any physical or toxic injury incurred while employed, and including all deaths during or related to employment.

6. All sudden, unexpected, traumatic or any unnatural death after long term confinement of patients suffering from mental and physical disorders in hospitals, or nursing or personal care homes in accordance with the rules and regulations for Licensing of Nursing Facilities (Part 40-10-1 of this Title).

7. All deaths in which there is reasonable evidence to suspect accident, suicide, homicide, or other unnatural process or unusual manner.

8. All deaths occurring unexpectedly where the decedent was not under continuous medical treatment for the disease or condition believed to be the cause of death including:

a. instantaneous death without obvious cause;

b. death during or after an acute, unexplained rapidly fatal illness, including "crib death" (SIDS) of young infants;

c. deaths occurring in public places, such as buildings, streets, parks or like areas;

d. sudden deaths occurring on flights of aircraft landing in the state; or

e. sudden deaths occurring on board ship docked at piers in the state or in state territorial waters.

9. All deaths in which the decedent was:

a. unattended by a physician in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-16(d),

b. found dead without obvious cause,

c. not under treatment for the apparent cause of death, or

d. not seen by the attending physician within two weeks prior to death.

10. All deaths occurring, whether directly or indirectly related, from a narcotic drug, medicinal substance, drug treatment modality and including ethyl alcohol containing beverages, whether sudden, or whether short or long term survival has occurred.

11. All deaths (whether homicide, suicide, or accident) in which an external cause or agent contributes to the death irrespective of the period between injury and death. External agents may include mechanical, chemical, electrical, thermal or another trauma.

12. Deaths of newborns and stillbirths delivered or occurring outside of a hospital or when the mother was involved in a recent or past traumatic event (motor vehicle crash, suicide attempt, etc.) that may have precipitated the delivery and may have a causal relationship to the newborn death, and all infant deaths occurring within 24 hours of delivery without known reasonable cause of death, or if the cause is suspected to be traumatic before, during or after said delivery.

13. In-hospital deaths including:

a. all deaths suspected to be due to or contributed to by trauma or whatever type (physical, firearms, chemical abortion, etc.) including accidentally, suicidally, and homicidally inflicted trauma;

b. deaths occurring while under the influence of anesthesia, during the post anesthetic period without the patient regaining consciousness, or following long term survival if the original incident is thought to be related to the surgical procedure or the anesthetic agent;

c. all deaths occurring during or following therapeutic or diagnostic procedures, including blood transfusions, whether thought to be related to death or independent therefrom;

d. all deaths where the industrial environment is suspected as cause of the terminal disease or where illness began on the job or at place of employment; or

e. all deaths occurring within 24 hours of admission.

14. Hospital emergency room deaths including:

a. all cases "dead on arrival",

b. deaths due to or suspected from trauma in accordance with § 1.9(B)(11) of this Part, and

c. deaths occurring within 24 hours of entry into the emergency room.

15. In-hospital or emergency room deaths specified in §§ 1.9(B)(13) and (14) of this Part, where the attending physician has no adequate or reasonable explanation of the cause of death.

C. It shall be the duty and responsibility of any person, be he or she a physician, law enforcement officer, funeral director, hospital official, relative of the deceased person responsible for burial or cremation, or other individual having knowledge of any person, the circumstances of whose death may be categorized in accordance with § 1.9 of this Part, to immediately notify OSME.

D. Any person reporting a death to OSME shall submit the following data: the name, address, and age of the decedent, if known; the location of the body, a summary of the circumstances of death, and any pertinent medical information, such as names of doctor, hospital, prescription, etc.

Notes

216 R.I. Code R. § 216-RICR-60-10-1.9