ISSN: 0022-1198
Published Online: 1 July 1985
Page Count: 6

A Procedure for the Investigation of Anesthetic/Surgical Deaths
Reay, DT
Chief medical examiner, medical examiner, and assistant medical examiner, WA

Bonnell, HJ
Chief medical examiner, medical examiner, and assistant medical examiner, WA

Eisele, JW
Chief medical examiner, medical examiner, and assistant medical examiner, WA

Ward, R
Chief, Veterans Administration Hospital, WA

Horton, W
Staff anesthesiologist, Virginia Mason Hospital, WA

(Received 4 September 1984; accepted 27 November 1984)

Abstract

A procedure for the investigation of surgical/anesthetic deaths is presented which allows for clearly defined jurisdictional assessment and correlates the autopsy and toxicological findings with the pathophysiology of the anesthetic/surgical event. This procedure facilitates an accurate certification of the cause of death in patients who die during surgery and anesthesia.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, death, anesthetics, anesthetic/surgical deaths, anesthetic/surgical death committee, American Society of Anesthesiology classification, death investigation

Paper ID: JFS11015J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11015J
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.