I was once asked to perform an autopsy on a young man who died unexpectedly after going home from the hospital following implantation of a shunt to relieve pressure caused by syringomyelia. The autopsy determined that his death had been caused by a pulmonary embolism, a frequent complication. It also revealed that a tumor in the lower portion of the spinal cord had caused the neurological problem. When the family learned about the tumor, they asked me why the surgeon had implanted the shunt toward the upper portion of the spinal cord when the primary cause of the disease was at the bottom. This information was a great relief to family members who had feared that their loved one had died as the result of an error.
Families are interested in more than cause of death.
In some instances, an autopsy will reveal evidence of an unknown disorder for which other family members should be tested. In other cases, it will put to rest nagging doubts about whether everything possible was done appropriately. Family members are often comforted by the knowledge that their loved one's autopsy will contribute to the medical armamentarium to fight environmental, genetic, and occupational hazards. The CAP Autopsy Committee, chaired by Peter Baker, MD, promotes use of the autopsy for quality improvement, research, education, and public health. The Autopsy Committee has developed two items with which the College can help clinicians educate families about the autopsy.