Post-Mortem (PM) Data
Definition
Information collected from a recovered body or body fragment : physical description, dental examination, fingerprints, DNA profile, personal effects : used in DVI reconciliation.
- Context
- Mass-casualty incident DVI reconciliation
- Included
- Physical description, dental exam, fingerprints, DNA profile
- Also included
- Personal effects
- Role
- Compared against ante-mortem records to identify victims
Common questions
What role do nurses typically play in collecting this data at a mass-casualty scene?+
DVI-trained nursing staff assist with triage documentation, body and personal-effects processing, and chain-of-custody logging of biological samples, working alongside forensic specialists who carry out the specialised dental, fingerprint and DNA examinations.
Why is speed important when collecting post-mortem data after a mass-casualty event?+
Large numbers of remains, environmental exposure and limited mortuary capacity all accelerate decomposition and evidence loss, so structured, rapid data capture is needed to preserve identifying features before they degrade beyond use.
Related terms
- Ante-Mortem (AM) Data
- Information gathered from family members, medical providers, or records about the appearance, health history, dental treatment, and fingerprints of a person before...
- Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)
- The systematic process of identifying the deceased after a mass-casualty event using the INTERPOL DVI form sets, which standardise ante-mortem and post-mortem...
- Family Liaison Officer (FLO)
- A dedicated contact point between the investigation and the bereaved family, responsible for two-way information flow: collecting AM data from the family...
- Mass-Casualty Incident (MCI)
- An event that produces more casualties than available resources can immediately manage, requiring special coordination between emergency services, hospitals, morgues, and victim-identification...
- Secondary Traumatic Stress
- Psychological distress in responders resulting from exposure to others' trauma and death at mass-casualty events. Includes intrusive images, emotional numbing, hypervigilance, and...