Browsing by Subject "Autopsy"

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    Open Access
    Forensic medicine in South Africa: associations between medical practice and legal case progression and outcomes in female murders
    (Public Library of Science, 2011) Abrahams, Naeemah; Jewkes, Rachel; Martin, Lorna J; Mathews, Shanaaz
    BACKGROUND: Forensic medicine has been largely by-passed by the tide of health systems research and evidence based medicine. Murder victims form a central part of forensic medical examiners' case load, and women murdered by intimate partners are an important subgroup, representing the most severe form and consequence of intimate partner violence. Our aim was to describe the epidemiology of female murder in South Africa (by intimate and non-intimate partners); and to describe and compare autopsy findings, forensic medical management of cases and the contribution of these to legal outcomes. METHODS: We did a retrospective national study in a proportionate random sample of 25 medico-legal laboratories to identify all homicides in 1999 of women aged 14 years and over. Data were abstracted from the mortuary file and autopsy report, and collected from a police interview. FINDINGS: In 21.5% of cases the perpetrator was convicted. Factors associated with a conviction for the female murders included having a history of intimate partner violence 1.18 (95%CI: 0.16-2.20), weapon recovered 1.36 (95% CI:0.58-2.15) and a detective visiting the crime scene 1.57 (95% CI:0.14-3.00). None of the forensic medical activities increased the likelihood of a conviction. CONCLUSION: The findings raise important questions about the role of forensic medicine in these cases.
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    The value of the autopsy in clinical medicine
    (1993) Innes, David Findlay; Rose, A G
    The main purpose of this study was to assess the value of the autopsy in clinical medicine today. This has been achieved by analysing several variables. Clinical diagnostic accuracy was determined by assessing the concordance/discrepancy of clinical and autopsy diagnoses. In addition, several variables were assessed, namely whether or not the size of the hospital, type of ward, autopsy rate, age of the patient, and degree of confidence with which the clinical diagnosis was made had any bearing on the accuracy of the diagnosis. The impact of the newer diagnostic tests on clinical diagnosis was also assessed to confirm or refute the widely held opinion amongst clinicians that diagnostic advances have indeed reduced the need for autopsies. The attitudes of pathology registrars and consultants towards the autopsy were analysed, using a questionnaire proposed by Stubbs et al.