What is a Reportable Death?

Those deaths to be reported to the Office of the Medical Investigator include all deaths occurring in New Mexico as outlined below regardless of where or when the initial injuring event occurred. (Skull with gunshot wounds shown below)

Reportable Deaths

• Any death that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, that is, when the person has not been under medical care for significant heart, lung or other disease.
• Any death suspected to be due to violence, i.e., suicidal, accidental or homicidal injury, regardless of when or where the injury occurred.
• Any death suspected to be due to alcohol intoxication or the result of exposure to toxic agents.
• Any death of a resident housed in county or state institution, regardless of where death occurs. This refers to any ward of the state or individual placed in such a facility by legal authorization.
• Any death of a person in the custody of law enforcement officers.
• Any death of a person in a nursing home or other private institution without recent medical attendance.
• Any death that occurs unexpectedly during, in association with, or as a result of diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, or anesthetic procedures.
• Deaths alleged to have been caused by an act of malpractice.
• Deaths suspected to be involved with the decedent's occupation.
• Deaths unattended by a physician.
• Any death due to neglect.
• Any stillbirth of 20 or more weeks gestation unattended by a physician.
• Any maternal death to include death of a pregnant woman regardless of the length of the pregnancy, and up to six weeks (or one year) post-delivery, even where the cause of death is unrelated to the pregnancy.
• Any death of an infant or child where the medical history has not established some pre-existing medical condition.
• Deaths which are possibly, directly or indirectly, attributable to environmental exposure not otherwise specified.
• Any death suspected to be due to infectious or contagious disease wherein the diagnosis and extent of disease at the time of death are undetermined.
• Any death occurring under suspicious circumstances.
• Any death in which there is doubt as to whether or not it is a medical investigator's case should be reported.