ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 8

Natural Death as Viewed by the Medical Examiner: A Review of 1000 Consecutive Autopsies of Individuals Dying of Natural Disease
Di Maio, DJM
Student, Trinity University, TX

Di Maio, VJM
Chief medical examiner, Office of the Medical Examiner, Texas

Abstract

A study of 1000 consecutive autopsies of individuals dying of natural disease was conducted. Cardiovascular disease was responsible for 60.9% of all deaths with coronary artery disease—not only the main cause of cardiovascular death but also the main cause of all natural deaths—accounting for 45.1% of such cases. Diseases of the central nervous and respiratory systems accounted for 8.7 and 8.6%, respectively, of the natural deaths. Seizure disorders and pneumonia were the main causes of death in these organ systems. There were 124 deaths of children less than one year in age, 91 which were due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). All of the SIDS deaths were in children less than 10 months old.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, symposium, cardiovascular disease, postmortem examination, natural death, autopsy, medical examiner, sudden death

Paper ID: JFS13000J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13000J
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