Are "accidental" gun deaths as rare as they seem? A comparison of medical examiner manner of death coding with an intent-based classification approach

Author: Schaechter, J. / Duran, I. / De Marchena, J. / Lemard, G. / Villar, M. E.
Publication: Pediatrics
Topics: Homicide Local Medical Suicide Surveillance/Data Collection
Keywords: intent-based classification medical examiner pediatric firearm death unintentional gun death
Bibliographic information +

The authors compared the proportion of pediatric unintentional gun deaths in Miami-Dade County based on manner of death coding by a medical examiner (ME) and an intent-based classification (IBC) for all pediatric firearm fatalities in Miami-Dade County between 1994 and 1998. Of 123 deaths, a significant difference was identified between ME coding and IBC for homicide and accident/unintentional firearm death, but not suicide.