In the second webinar, participants will be introduced to the use of PMCT as a triage tool in a busy forensic pathology practice. Participants will first learn about the history of the use of PMCT at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) and the existing research and literature on the efficacy of PMCT in the medical examiner setting.
PMCT has become a vital tool in the triage of cases at the OMI. Participants will be introduced to the daily triage of cases and how PMCT is utilized by the pathologists to determine whether or not individual cases need to receive a full autopsy, a partial autopsy, or an external examination. This will be done through a case-based discussion with pertinent histories and CT findings. The use of ancillary testing, including urine drug screening, confirmatory toxicology testing, and nasopharyngeal swabs will be reviewed in the context of PMCT.
Participants will review how OMI has created updated standard operating procedures to guide pathologist triage with PMCT and the importance of the creation of clear guidelines for the incorporation of PMCT into practice. In addition, challenges and limitations of the use of PMCT for case triage will be identified.