Untitled

Consented Autopsy-Never-Failing yet Ever Falling

Introduction

Conclusion

Consented Autopsy in the 21st Century

originates from mummification using human dissection around 3000BC

Autopsy is on the brink of extinction.

1980s, around 30% of adult inpatient deaths in the United Kingdom were followed with consented autopsy

Marked declines have been noted around the globe

2013 this figure had fallen to less than 1%

Has been driven by the development of various misconceptions within the medical profession

consentfrom believed families are rarely successful.

In reality, the autopsy remains a valuable means for advancing modern medicine.

misdiagnosis remains an unavoidable frequent recurrence

28% of deceased Intensive Care Patients had at least one misdiagnosis and that diagnostic errors

modern diagnostics are far from infallible

consented autopsy highlights common and serious misdiagnoses

misdiagnoses surrounding death is likely to have consequences on death certificates

Consented autopsy has aided in our understanding of pathological mechanisms in sepsis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and influenza

The educational benefits of autopsy extend to undergraduate and postgraduate trainees.

Traditional hospital autopsy provides a platform for all medical professionals to improve clinicopathological correlation and clinical effectiveness of treatment by discussing pathology reports

Autopsy may act as a means of closure to a grieving family, it can add meaning to a death and may highlight undiagnosed communicable and hereditary disease

A combination of misconceptions surrounding consented autopsy has led to a worldwide decline in this technique

extinct within a generation, unless imminent action is taken

enable it to become a routinely used diagnostic tool to benefit the safety of our patients