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.

THANK
YOU!