Our request
We ask CDC to publish a SUDORS analysis that cross-tabulates ketamine detection with documented history of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm. Please report those history categories separately rather than combining them into a single measure.
For each category, please distinguish deaths with ketamine testing documented as performed, testing documented as not performed, and testing status unknown. Where records allow, provide clear definitions, the reporting period, geographic coverage, denominators, and suppression rules alongside the tables.
If the existing public-use data or disclosure protections do not permit this analysis, we ask CDC to explain which data elements or safeguards are missing and whether an aggregate release could be produced safely.
Why it matters
SUDORS data on ketamine detection and documented history of suicidal thoughts or attempts are not currently published together in the materials described in this request. Without a joint table, the public cannot describe their overlap from those separate counts.
Separating ideation, attempts, and self-harm, while making testing status visible, would make the limits of the records easier to understand. These records would describe documented histories; they would not establish that ketamine caused suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or a death.
What good reporting looks like
- Use CDC's existing variable definitions and state clearly what counts as documented history.
- Retain unknown and untested categories; do not treat missing information as a negative finding.
- Apply appropriate privacy and small-cell protections, and explain any suppressed values.