A spike in drug overdose deaths in the United States has overwhelmed medical examiners and coroners and created a shortage of places to store bodies awaiting autopsy and toxicology procedures, reports The Boston Globe.
Medical examiners and coroners across the country have said overdose deaths are adding to a strain on their offices that already includes urban violence, inadequate facilities, budget problems and a shortage of forensic pathologists, according to the article.
Below are three things to know about the issue.
1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a record 47,055 people died from drug overdoses in 2014, up 7 percent from 2013, according to The Boston Globe.
2. There is a shortage of forensic pathologists in the U.S. as many medical students opt for higher paying pathology jobs. There are currently about 500 practicing forensic pathologists, half the number experts say the country needs to meet demands for services.
3. Medical examiner's offices in various states have implemented temporary solutions to keep up with demand. For instance, the Connecticut medical examiner's office considered renting a refrigerated truck to store bodies when the regular storage facility reaches capacity. In Wisconsin, the MilwaukeeCounty medical examiner's office stores bodies on army cots when it runs out of gurneys, according to the article.