Post-Mortem Examinations
A Post-Mortem Examination (PME) is a detailed medical examination of a person's body after death. A PME can help explain why and how the death occurred.
The PME is conducted by a forensic pathologist. A forensic pathologist is a qualified doctor trained in pathology. Pathology is the science which looks at the causes and effects on the body of disease or damage.
In most cases a PME will be necessary to provide medical information about a death. A PME will provide detailed information about the person's health. This will give an understanding of the factors which may have contributed to the death. Even if the cause of death seems clear, the person may have had a medical condition which was not clear during life.
This information can be important for family members trying to come to terms with the death. If the person died from an infection or genetic disease, a PME can provide valuable information for other family members.
A PME is the only reasonably certain method of determining why a person died. In some cases, there are legal reasons why it is important that an autopsy be performed. There are rare cases when even a PME cannot provide this information.
Timeframes
Unless there are objections to the PME, the PME is done without unnecessary delay. This is so that the person's body is released to the family as quickly as possible and a funeral held with minimal delay.
Further medical testing may also be required. This can include examinations by the forensic pathologists, toxicology analysis, neuropathology, histology and microbiology. The more testing and analysis required, the more time it will take for the forensic pathologists to provide their PME report to the Coroner.
If a person has died in hospital, organ donation may be possible. For more information, contact DonateLife Western Australia
How the Post-Mortem Examination (PME) is done
The person's body is treated with great respect at all times.
Forensic pathologists may carry out detailed external and internal examinations of the body. The technical and scientific staff in the mortuary assist the pathologist.
Techniques like those used in surgical operations are involved. The major organs of the body are examined. Small specimens may be taken for further detailed scientific and medical examination.
These examinations may include tests for:
- Infection (microbiology)
- Changes in body tissues and organs (anatomical histology)
- Diseases of the nervous and skeletal muscles and functions (neuropathology)
- Chemicals, e.g. medication, drugs or poisons (toxicology and pharmacology)
These tests are carried out on samples of blood or tissue taken from the person's body and retained for that purpose. Occasionally it is necessary to retain larger portions of tissue or whole organs for ongoing medical investigations in relation to the death. If larger portions of tissue or whole organs are sought, the court will discuss this with the senior next of kin.
Forensic pathologists are also able to conduct a non-invasive external PME by utilising a computed tomography (CT) scanner. This scanner takes medical images of the body. Forensic pathologists will often be able to complete their PME and report by relying on the CT imaging without the need for an internal PME.
Information regarding organ retention following PME is available from the Coronial Counselling and Information Service. Telephone - 9425 2900, country calls - 1800 671 994.
Last updated: 2 December 2024