The Final Consultation: The Autopsy

Abstract

Autopsy has long been an important tool for education, maintaining the quality of patient care and the final consultation. In addition to its other benefits, autopsy has been used to provide or modify treatments for future generations of patients; train young physicians; and provide definitive answers about the efficacy of treatments administered [1]. Countries are struggling to keep this rich tool of medicine alive and a revival of autopsy has been called for by many pathologists [2]. However, rates of autopsy have declined over recent years because of changing legislation, challenges with informed consent, and

Unifying the death notification form: Recommendations by the Saudi Health Council task force

“…Death certification is important for both medical and government agencies. 2 , 3 , 4 In addition to documenting deaths and providing statistics, death certification provides medical agencies with information about possible causes of death. 2 , 3 , 4 The recommendations made by the General Secretariat of the Saudi Health Council are logical and in line with international recommendations.…”

“… 2 , 3 , 4 In addition to documenting deaths and providing statistics, death certification provides medical agencies with information about possible causes of death. 2 , 3 , 4 The recommendations made by the General Secretariat of the Saudi Health Council are logical and in line with international recommendations. The improvement of the quality of data in the death certificate is seen as an essential task of the General Secretariat of the Saudi Health Council similar to that of the WHO.…”

“…The death certificate is a legal and statistical document for government agencies, 1 , 2 , 3 used to record the cause of death and its mode and manner. Depending on the circumstances, a number of investigations, including a clinical or pathological autopsy, 4 may be performed to obtain the necessary information to complete a death certificate.…”

Discrepancies between clinical diagnoses and autopsy findings: A comparative study conducted in South Africa

“…[8] Furthermore, the autopsy is of great value for parents and siblings when genetic causes play a role in sudden and unexpected deaths and intervention can aid surviving family members. [8,9] The autopsy assists us in understanding the pathogenesis of disease, facilitates the detection of new disease entities, and helps establish new patterns in known diseases. [1,8] Unexpected findings at autopsy contribute to the increasing pool of medical knowledge and improved clinical acumen, which may lead to better patient care.…”

“…To date, it remains unrivalled: no equivalent alternative exists. [1,8,9,11] Despite the above, an international decline in autopsies has been observed over the past few decades, ascribed to various reasons. [1,5,10,[12][13][14][15][16] These include major improvements in modern medicine's spectrum of diagnostic capabilities, attitudes of relatives, fear of litigation, financial implications, unmotivated pathologists, changes in the curricula of medical schools, and new approaches to autopsy procedures.…”