How common are autopsies these days? Are they commonplace or only performed in suspicious or crime situations? I had a relative die a long time ago at a young age and they did perform an autopsy, which showed it was cardiac arrest. I would prefer not to have an autopsy, after learning about them in television programs. Unless I suspected my loved one was poisoned or killed, I would not want that procedure done. Also have wondered how much they would cost if you requested one. Anyone familiar with these?
Autopsy - Routine These Days?
- Thread starter SeaBreeze
- Start date
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
The rule over here is that an autopsy is required for any sudden death where no doctor has examined the person in the previous 6 months.
It is to rule out the possibility of foul play, such as poisoning, and it is not up to the relatives to ask for it. It is mandatory.
If a doctor is able to certify the cause of death, having recently treated the deceased before death, then no autopsy is necessary.
It is to rule out the possibility of foul play, such as poisoning, and it is not up to the relatives to ask for it. It is mandatory.
If a doctor is able to certify the cause of death, having recently treated the deceased before death, then no autopsy is necessary.
WheatenLover
Senior Member
- Location
- Georgia
In PA, if the family wants an autopsy, and the coroner releases the body without autopsying it, the family has to arrange for and pay for it themselves.
Profiles of each state’s coroner and/or medical examiner death investigation laws. Click on your state: http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/coroner.html
Profiles of each state’s coroner and/or medical examiner death investigation laws. Click on your state: http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/coroner.html
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
That's the way it is here in NM, too.
Rather than me type out all of the reasons why autopsies are performed here in Pennsylvania, you may click on this website and see for yourself. http://www.pacoroners.org/Laws.php
I remember attending my first autopsy as a young Investigator. Like so many others before me, I had to be excused, so I could use the bathroom, but not for the usual uses. After my third autopsy, I became pretty much benign to them. It helps to view certain parts of the autopsy as an Investigator, so that when you testify in court, you can better explain just what it is that you are trying to convey to the jury. The really tough ones to still view are those of young children. It's an event that you just can't begin to imagine. It stays with you for a very long time.
I had a case 4 or 5 years ago of a young boy who was then 11 years old. He and his buddy were playing with one of the father's guns, which was a .357 magnum. The gun went off and hit the boy in the chest and blew a pretty decent size hole in him. We were not going to perform an autopsy because the case spoke for itself, but the insurance company required it and paid for it. They wanted to know if the child had any other diseases, like cancer, etc., so they could lessen the amount of the payout. Unbelievable.
Then, we also had an autopsy of an older man that died of what we considered to be just old age. I believe he was in his mid 80's. Again, the insurance company demanded the autopsy and they also paid for it. When the toxicology report came back, it was found that he had a large amount of ethylene glycol, or antifreeze in his system. After an extensive investigation, it was found that the two sons did not want to wait any longer to get their inheritance, so they took matters into their own hands. The insurance policy was for $500,000.00, but the old man was worth another $3mil besides. The irony was that during the autopsy, it was discovered that he had cancer, both prostate and lung and was probably in his last one-two years of life.
I remember attending my first autopsy as a young Investigator. Like so many others before me, I had to be excused, so I could use the bathroom, but not for the usual uses. After my third autopsy, I became pretty much benign to them. It helps to view certain parts of the autopsy as an Investigator, so that when you testify in court, you can better explain just what it is that you are trying to convey to the jury. The really tough ones to still view are those of young children. It's an event that you just can't begin to imagine. It stays with you for a very long time.
I had a case 4 or 5 years ago of a young boy who was then 11 years old. He and his buddy were playing with one of the father's guns, which was a .357 magnum. The gun went off and hit the boy in the chest and blew a pretty decent size hole in him. We were not going to perform an autopsy because the case spoke for itself, but the insurance company required it and paid for it. They wanted to know if the child had any other diseases, like cancer, etc., so they could lessen the amount of the payout. Unbelievable.
Then, we also had an autopsy of an older man that died of what we considered to be just old age. I believe he was in his mid 80's. Again, the insurance company demanded the autopsy and they also paid for it. When the toxicology report came back, it was found that he had a large amount of ethylene glycol, or antifreeze in his system. After an extensive investigation, it was found that the two sons did not want to wait any longer to get their inheritance, so they took matters into their own hands. The insurance policy was for $500,000.00, but the old man was worth another $3mil besides. The irony was that during the autopsy, it was discovered that he had cancer, both prostate and lung and was probably in his last one-two years of life.
CuriousKate
New Member
I requested an autopsy on my mother because I needed to know the WHY of her death. She had been treated for oral cancer but that was not the cause. After receiving 2 pneumonia shots (she had forgotten she already had one), she got pneumonia! She was treated in the hospital for about 5 days but was discharged to rehab as the hospital said they couldn't do anymore for her. She actually seemed to be getting worse in the rehab center-they were not addressing her continual diarrhea and lack of appetite- and I could tell that being in the rehabi was wearing on her mentally. I asked her if she wanted to come home and she said "yes". I figured with having a visiting nurse come to our home, and me keeping an eye out for her, she would be in better hands. After the third day, I found her collapsed in the bathroom and incoherent. Call to 911 and taken to a different hospital. Unfortunately by then, her kidneys had shut down. She had sepsis. She would have had to be on dialysis for whatever remaining life she had. I do believe she understood when I asked her if she wanted that and she shook her head "no". She spent about 6 hours in ICU with no improvement. I knew the time had come so asked that she be removed from life support.
I requested an autopsy because I did need to know the actual cause of her death. It may have been selfish but I was the one remaining and had to live with my decisions.The hospital was a bit taken aback by my request but the autopsy was done and I never received a bill. Not sure if my mother's Medicare covered it or it just wasn't billed. Not something I worried about.
Sorry for going on. Sometimes the posts trigger memories for us that need to be unloaded. Also, we do learn from each other by sharing our stories. I panic any time I hear about an older person who is in the hospital with pneumonia. What people need to realize is that the antibiotics they use to treat the pneumonia can actually harm us in that they kill both the bad and good bacteria we have in our bodies. When the good bacteria is destroyed, it allows the bad to overwhelm our systems and causes organ damage. After all the treatments my mother went through (and I do know that they weakened her system), to have her pass as a result of pneumonia is just a hard pill to swallow.
I requested an autopsy because I did need to know the actual cause of her death. It may have been selfish but I was the one remaining and had to live with my decisions.The hospital was a bit taken aback by my request but the autopsy was done and I never received a bill. Not sure if my mother's Medicare covered it or it just wasn't billed. Not something I worried about.
Sorry for going on. Sometimes the posts trigger memories for us that need to be unloaded. Also, we do learn from each other by sharing our stories. I panic any time I hear about an older person who is in the hospital with pneumonia. What people need to realize is that the antibiotics they use to treat the pneumonia can actually harm us in that they kill both the bad and good bacteria we have in our bodies. When the good bacteria is destroyed, it allows the bad to overwhelm our systems and causes organ damage. After all the treatments my mother went through (and I do know that they weakened her system), to have her pass as a result of pneumonia is just a hard pill to swallow.
CuriousKate
New Member
Thanks Wrigley's
Lon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Central California
A Autopsy is absolutely the ONLY WAY to POSITIVELY determine the cause of death, anything else is pure speculation. Even a gun shot wound to the head is not a guarantee that it is the cause of death, and likewise, if some one has been treated for many years for a heart condition and dies, you cannot assume that a heart attack was the cause of death. I have participated in many autopsies where the initial cause of death differed after the results of an autopsy was revealed.
jujube
SF VIP
I was told that an autopsy was required on my late husband because he died outside the hospital, even though he wasn't pronounced dead until he reached the hospital. I expected to be billed for it, but it never was billed.
fureverywhere
beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
- Location
- Northern NJ, USA
My Mom, there was no autopsy. Off the chart high blood pressure for years. Scotch and a bunch of stress. I understand now.
Lon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Central California
It's absolutely essential that if a autopsy is to be performed that it be done by a qualified PATHOLOGIST. I have seen autopsies performed by believe it or not a General Practioner because the county in which the deceased died could not afford to have a pathologist perform the autopsy. If you want to get away with murder, do it in a small poor county.
You are not likely to get away with murder in a large city because they have the facilities to perform complete autopsies including Toxicolgy Tests.
You are not likely to get away with murder in a large city because they have the facilities to perform complete autopsies including Toxicolgy Tests.
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
My dad had to have an autopsy because he died suddenly and unexpectedly (heart attack). My mother did not, because she had been under the care of an oncologist for several months with terminal cancer. I didn't make those decisions, the State (or county or whoever) did.
I remember back some years ago now, a lady died under suspicious circumstances. Like you wrote, this was in a large, but under-populated, rural, mountain county here in PA. The Coroner was actually a Physician's Assistant. Here in PA, the Coroner need not have any medical background. If an autopsy is necessary, the body is sent to the nearest county where a Pathologist or ME is licensed for performing autopsies.
The Coroner initially ruled the death "Suspicious" and later changed it to "Undetermined." This caused the body to be sent to a neighboring county for the Pathologist there to perform the autopsy. Even after the autopsy, the Pathologist could not determine the manner of death. He did list the cause of the death, which was suffocation, but not the manner. The DA then ordered a second autopsy and a Pathologist from a nearby state was summoned to perform it here in PA. He determined the manner to be by a lethal injection of a powerful drug, which the name of it eludes me at the moment. The drug was undetectable originally, but later able to be detected in tissue samples. Sounds confusing, I know, but sometimes these things do happen. Long story short, this made it a homicide.
After a 30 month investigation, the Investigators working the case made an arrest.
Some say the lack of autopsies help hospitals cover up their mistakes.
https://www.propublica.org/article/without-autopsies-hospitals-bury-their-mistakes/
I've seen people pass in the hospital where the nurses and interns were telling the family one thing and the doctors another. One of doctors finally admitted one night shaking their finger and fists at the family member "I told you this procedure had this risk" yet the death certificate had other causes.
If nothing else perhaps one final blood test and hair sample. With many a celebrity athlete dying in this day and age I would also test for steroids along with recreational or prescription drugs. Can't correct mistakes and issues unless you know what they are.
https://www.propublica.org/article/without-autopsies-hospitals-bury-their-mistakes/
I've seen people pass in the hospital where the nurses and interns were telling the family one thing and the doctors another. One of doctors finally admitted one night shaking their finger and fists at the family member "I told you this procedure had this risk" yet the death certificate had other causes.
If nothing else perhaps one final blood test and hair sample. With many a celebrity athlete dying in this day and age I would also test for steroids along with recreational or prescription drugs. Can't correct mistakes and issues unless you know what they are.