Chapter 2, Problem 2.14.1C

You are a medicolegal death investigator, and tonight you have a third-year medical student riding with you on the last night of his elective clinical rotation in Forensic Pathology (and his first, and only, night in the field). At 1834 hours you are dispatched to the Regional Medical Center concerning the death of a physician. Investigation reveals that the doctor was sitting at a Nurse’s station, writing orders. He was conversing with people, and was reportedly in a good mood without expressed complaint. All of a sudden, he was seen to get a horribly-pained look on his face; he began to arise from his seated position as he grabbed his head, saying “Oh, oh, my head, I’ve never had pain like this” then “I don’t want to be Coded” (resuscitated). He thereupon collapsed to the floor, was seen to take approximately 7-8 agonal breaths, and then became apneic, although he still had a pulse. A respiratory therapist present opened the physician’s airway, told others to call a Code Blue, and…