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Who’s killing the autopsy? A new tool for assessing the causes of falling autopsy rates

Roger W Byard
Med J Aust 2005; 183 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb00068.x
Published online: 5 December 2005

Death is a fearful thing.


  • Forensic Science South Australia, Adelaide, SA.


Correspondence: 

Competing interests:

The author admits to a personal fondness for the ancient art of autopsy.

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  • 2. Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Autopsy Working Party. The decline of the hospital autopsy: a safety and quality issue for healthcare in Australia. Med J Aust 2004; 180: 281-285. <MJA full text>
  • 3. O’Grady G. Death of the teaching autopsy. BMJ 2003; 327: 802-803.
  • 4. Slavin G, Kirkham N, Underwood JCE, et al. The autopsy and audit. Report of the Joint Working Party of the Royal College of Pathologists, the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. London: Royal College of Pathologists, 1991.
  • 5. Baron JH. Clinical diagnosis and the function of the autopsy. J R Soc Med 2000; 93: 463-466.
  • 6. McDermott M. The continuing decline of autopsies in clinical trials: is there any way back? Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2004; 89: F198-F199.
  • 7. Cartlidge PHT, Dawson AT, Stewart JH, Vujanic GM. Value and quality of perinatal and infant post-mortem examinations: cohort analysis of 400 consecutive deaths. BMJ 1995; 310: 155-158.

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