Medico-legal Investigation Of Death

LEGAL

JES

Types of Autopsies 1. Medico-legal or Forensic autopsies- seek to find the cause and manner of death and to identify the decedent.

2. Clinical or Pathological autopsies are performed to diagnose a particular disease or for research purposes.

Types of Autopsies 3. Anatomical or Academic Autopsies - are performed by students of anatomy for study purpose only. 4. Virtual or Medical Imaging Autopsies - are performed utilizing imaging technology only, primarily magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).

Pathological Autopsy vs Medico-legal Autopsy PATHOLOGICAL AUTOPSY 1. Requirement Consent of next of kin 2. Confirmation Clinical findings of research 3. Emphasis Notation at all abnormal findings

MEDICO-LEGAL AUTOPSY Law that gives the consent Correlate tissue changes to criminal act Effect of wrongful act

4. Conclusion

Summation of all abnormal findings

Specific to the purpose

5. Minor

Need not be mentioned

Included if useful

The following manner of death should be autopsied: 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7.

Death by violence Accidental deaths Suicides Sudden death of persons who are in good health Death unattended by physician D.O.A. with no clinical diagnosis Death occurring in an unnatural manner

P.D. 856

Section 95. Autopsy and Dissection of Remains. The autopsy and dissection of remains are subject to the following requirements: XXX

(b) Autopsies shall be performed in the following cases: 1. Whenever required by special laws; 2. Upon orders of a competent court, a mayor and a provincial or city fiscal; 3. Upon written request of police authorities; 4. Whenever the Solicitor General, provincial or city fiscal as authorized by existing laws, shall deem it necessary to disinter and take possession of remains for examination to determine the cause of death; and 5. Whenever the nearest kin shall request in writing the authorities concerned to ascertain the cause of death.

Mistakes in autopsy:  Errors or omission in the collection of evidence for identification  Errors or omission in the collection of evidence required for establishing the time of death  Errors or omission in the collection of evidence required for the medico-legal examination  Errors or omission result in the production of undesirable artifacts or in the destruction of valid evidence.

Negative Autopsies - if after all efforts including gross and microscopic studies and toxicological analysis fail to reveal a cause of death

Negligent autopsy - No cause of death is found due to imprudence, negligence, lack of skill, lack of foresight.

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