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  3. Unexplained Critical Illnesses and Deaths
  4. Medical Examiner Infectious Deaths Surveillance Program (MED-X)
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MED-X Program

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  • Unexplained Critical Illnesses and Deaths Home
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MED-X Program

  • MED-X Home
  • Program Description
  • Case Definition
  • Protocol
  • Reporting
  • Specimen Collection
  • Statistics
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Resources

Related Topics

  • Unexplained Critical Illnesses and Deaths Home
  • Infectious Diseases A-Z
  • Reportable Infectious Diseases
Contact Info
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
IDEPC Comment Form

Contact Info

Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
IDEPC Comment Form

MED-X Case Definition

A case is any potential infectious death in a person that falls under Medical Examiner (ME) jurisdiction.

To determine if it is a potentially infectious death, use these checklists as a guide:

To determine if it is a potentially infectious death, use this checklist as a guide.

Download PDF version formatted for print:
Checklist of Antemortem and Postmortem Signs and Symptoms (PDF)

  1. Fever
  2. Acute encephalopathy or new onset seizures
  3. Acute flaccid paralysis or polyneuropathy
  4. New-onset jaundice
  5. Acute diarrhea
  6. New rash or soft tissue lesion
  7. Unexplained death
    • Death of an individual <50 years of age where:
      • the past medical history, circumstances, and scene investigation provide inadequate diagnostic insight to establish the cause of death, and
      • investigators have been unable to identify one of the signs/symptoms listed above in the absence of a specific etiology.
    • This category includes infants with a SIDS-like presentation.

To determine if it is a potentially infectious death, use this checklist as a guide.

Download PDF version formatted for print:
Checklist of Pathologic Syndromes (PDF)
 

  1. Neurologic
    • Encephalitis
    • Meningitis (including hemorrhagic)
  2. Respiratory
    • Pharyngitis, epiglottitis or other upper airway infection
    • Bronchitis or bronchiolitis, acute
    • Pneumonia
    • Diffuse alveolar damage
    • Mediastinitis, hemorrhagic
  3. Cardiac
    • Myocarditis
    • Endocarditis
  4. Gastrointestinal
    • Acute hepatitis or fulminant hepatic necrosis
    • Colitis
  5. Dermatologic
    • Diffuse rash
    • Soft tissue lesion
  6. Multi-system
    • Lymphadenitis
    • Sepsis syndrome
  7. None of the above pathologic syndromes

Includes:

  • Death with antemordem signs, symptoms or pathologic syndrome consistent with a possible infectious disease etiology.
    • Explained or unexplained.
       
  • Unexplained death in those <50 years of age (i.e. SIDS).
    • No infectious hallmark necessary.
  • Includes those with or without an autopsy.
Tags
  • unexplained critical illnesses and deaths
Last Updated: 03/27/2025
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