Uncertainty of Determining Mode of Death in Medico-Legal Material Without Autopsy – a Systematic Autopsy Study

Systematic autopsy was performed in 807 medicolegal deaths where the police had not requested autopsy. In all cases both the cause of death & the mode of death had been reported at the medicolegal examination. The autopsy revealed differences in the mode of death in about 4% of all cases. This was due in particular to the problems associated with distinguishing presumed natural deaths from accidents & suicide. The cases of “concealed” suicide were found in particular among the higher age groups. (18 refs)