Criteria for Requesting an Autopsy

Most autopsies performed in the acute care setting are for either medico-legal or educational purposes. Autopsies for educational purposes are useful in evaluating clinical diagnostic accuracy and determining the effectiveness and impact of therapeutic regimens. The following are criteria for requesting an autopsy from The Medical Center of Aurora/Centennial Medical Plaza's Medical Staff Rules and Regulations.

It shall be the duty of all staff members to secure meaningful autopsies whenever possible. Criteria for requesting an autopsy includes but is not limited to the following:

• Unanticipated death
  • Death occurring while the patient is being treated under an experimental regimen
  • Intra-operative or intra-procedural death
  • Death occurring within 48 hours after surgery or an invasive procedure
  • Death incident to pregnancy or within seven 7 days following delivery
  • All non-accidental deaths of children/infants admitted to Hospital or brought to ED DOA
• Death due to progression of inadequately defined or unknown disease process

Criteria for reporting death to the coroner:

• All patients that die within 24 hours of admission to the hospital
• All deaths that occur in the emergency room
• All deaths resulting from accident, suicide or homicide
• Any death in the operation room
• Any death thought to be related to a therapeutic procedure
• Deaths resulting from thermal, chemical or radiation injury
• All deaths due to unexplained causes or under suspicious circumstances
• Deaths resulting from a disease which may be hazardous or contagious
• All causes when trauma may be associated with the death

Any request for an autopsy and family response to that request should be documented in the medical record. Consent for autopsy must be received from the legal next of kin prior to autopsy. The physician performing the autopsy shall notify the attending practitioner when an autopsy is being performed. Forms that must be completed for an autopsy are the Consent for Autopsy Form and the Autopsy Request Form. Policy TX 304 Death outlines the process for obtaining an autopsy.