| The Autopsy The real story |
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Dr. Graeme Dowling: debunking the myths about autopsies |
By Shannon Haggarty
For a generation raised on television, the line between entertainment and reality is easily blurred, giving us a false sense we understand how things really work. Every once in a while it is good to step outside the television world and check the facts for ourselves, and I did just that on my visit to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office to find out more about autopsies.
Dr. Graeme Dowling is Alberta's Chief Medical Examiner, and has worked as a pathologist for 20 years.
Dowling debunked many of the myths associated with autopsies.
"It is a common misconception people have about autopsies that they disclose all the answers to the circumstances of a person's death", said Dowling. "In fact an autopsy is not always required."
About 75 per cent of deaths occur from natural causes when the person is ill or under the care of the physician and the cause of death is known. When a death occurs naturally, there still may be a place for an autopsy. The physician may approach the family and ask to perform an autopsy for the purpose of research and education. This form of autopsy requires the consent of the family.
Dr. Dowling acknowledged that these types of autopsies are on the decline because technology like scanning machines is providing much of the information an autopsy once did.
A second type of autopsy is known as the medical legal autopsy. In about 20-25 per cent of cases, where the death is unexplained or where criminal charges are being considered, an investigation by the Medical Examiner is required, and may include an autopsy.
The investigation includes a review of the person's history, the scene and the circumstances of the death, and an external examination of the body to determine if the death is a homicide, suicide, accidental or undetermined. An autopsy is required in about 45 per cent of these investigations, as a means of providing some additional information confirming the cause of death.
Dr. Dowling is quick to point out another myth television perpetuates, that unexplained deaths are the result of criminal activity. "The truth of the matter is less than two per cent of all deaths we investigate involve criminal activity," said Dowling.
Once criminal activity has been ruled out, the purpose of the investigation is to help answer important questions for the family who want to know what happened and why. As well, this same investigation works to address civil matters, as positive identification is required for government statistics, settlement of estates and insurance claims.
The Medical Examiner's Office investigates about 3,000 deaths per year, but only about 1,300 of those deaths would require an autopsy. The remaining deaths are investigated through other means, including external examination of the body or through toxicology testing.
It is interesting to note that up until the late 1800s, it was illegal to interfere with dead bodies, but now it is accepted that autopsies can provide answers to many questions that can comfort a family, assist in civil matters or help to solve a criminal investigation.
I will of course continue to watch old re-runs of Quincy, but I will try to remember it is only television.
