Table 3.
Medical examiner and coroner offices by toxicology laboratory services and evidence retention, information system infrastructure, 2004.
| Characteristic | Internal Toxicology Testing (n = 108) | External Toxicology Testing (n = 935) | All MEC Offices Offering Toxicology Services (n = 1043) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Retention of toxicology specimens | ||||||
| 0–3 months | 9 | 9.5 | 58 | 7.8 | 67 | 8.0 |
| 4–6 months | 11 | 11.6 | 66 | 8.9 | 77 | 9.2 |
| 7–9 months | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 0.7 | 5 | 0.6 |
| 10–12 months | 25 | 26.3 | 106 | 14.2 | 131 | 15.6 |
| More than 12 months | 20 | 21.1 | 86 | 11.6 | 106 | 12.6 |
| Indefinite | 30 | 31.6 | 423 | 56.9 | 453 | 54.0 |
| Access to the internet | ||||||
| Yes | 90 | 84.1 | 777 | 83.9 | 867 | 83.9 |
| Computerized information management system | ||||||
| Yes | 59 | 55.1 | 303 | 32.8 | 362 | 35.1 |
| Yes–centralized system | 55 | 53.4 | 229 | 28.1 | 284 | 31.0 |