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Chapter 4 - The Elder Autopsy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2020

By
Cynthia A. Schandl
Edited by
Kim A. Collins  and
Roger W. Byard
Kim A. Collins
Affiliation:
LifePoint Inc, South Carolina
Roger W. Byard
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide
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Summary

The autopsy is a medical and surgical procedure designed to holistically examine the entire body. Autopsies of elders are often not performed in our society, particularly if any substantial medical history is known, even when death occurs outside a medical facility. Reasons for this surround issues of resources and generally, in the context of a comprehensive death investigation system, such omissions may be acceptable.

Type
Chapter
Information
Geriatric Forensic Medicine and Pathology , pp. 51 - 71
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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