Non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy compared to conventional autopsy of suspected natural deaths in adults: a systematic review

Objectives: Autopsies are used for healthcare quality control and improving medical knowledge. Because autopsy rates are declining worldwide, various non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy methods are now being developed. To investigate whether these might replace the invasive autopsies conventionally performed in naturally deceased adults, we systematically reviewed original prospective validation studies. Materials and methods: We searched six databases. Two reviewers independently selected articles and extracted data. Methods and patient groups were too heterogeneous for meaningful meta-analysis of outcomes. Results: Sixteen of 1538 articles met our inclusion criteria. Eight studies used a blinded comparison; ten included less than 30 appropriate cases. Thirteen studies used radiological imaging (seven dealt solely with non-invasive procedures), two thoracoscopy and laparoscopy, and one sampling without imaging. Combining CT and MR was the best non-invasive method (agreement for cause of death: 70 %, 95%CI: 62.6; 76.4), but minimally invasive methods surpassed non-invasive methods. The highest sensitivity for cause of death (90.9 %, 95%CI: 74.5; 97.6, suspected duplicates excluded) was achieved in recent studies combining CT, CT-angiography and biopsies. Conclusion: Minimally invasive autopsies including biopsies performed best. To establish a feasible alternative to conventional autopsy and to increase consent to post-mortem investigations, further research in larger study groups is needed. Key points: • Health care quality control benefits from clinical feedback provided by (alternative) autopsies. • So far, sixteen studies investigated alternative autopsy methods for naturally deceased adults. • Thirteen studies used radiological imaging modalities, eight tissue biopsies, and three CT-angiography. • Combined CT, CT-angiography and biopsies were most sensitive diagnosing cause of death

Guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death: 2017 update from the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology.

Although sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the most important modes of death in Western countries, pathologists and public health physicians have not given this problem the attention it deserves. New methods of preventing potentially fatal arrhythmias have been developed and the accurate diagnosis of the causes of SCD is now of particular importance. Pathologists are responsible for determining the precise cause and mechanism of sudden death but there is still considerable variation in the way in which they approach this increasingly complex task. The Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology has developed these guidelines, which represent the minimum standard that is required in the routine autopsy practice for the adequate investigation of SCD. The present version is an update of our original article, published 10 years ago. This is necessary because of our increased understanding of the genetics of cardiovascular diseases, the availability of new diagnostic methods, and the experience we have gained from the routine use of the original guidelines. The updated guidelines include a detailed protocol for the examination of the heart and recommendations for the selection of histological blocks and appropriate material for toxicology, microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular investigation. Our recommendations apply to university medical centers, regionals hospitals, and all healthcare professionals practicing pathology and forensic medicine. We believe that their adoption throughout Europe will improve the standards of autopsy practice, allow meaningful comparisons between different communities and regions, and permit the identification of emerging patterns of diseases causing SCD. Finally, we recommend the development of regional multidisciplinary networks of cardiologists, geneticists, and pathologists. Their role will be to facilitate the identification of index cases with a genetic basis, to screen appropriate family members, and ensure that appropriate preventive strategies are implemented

Referral patterns of patients presenting with chest pain at two rural emergency departments in Western Australia

Introduction: Coronary heart disease is the largest single cause of death in Australia. In Western Australia invasive diagnostics and therapies for acute coronary syndromes are only provided in the metropolitan hospitals of Perth. Patients in rural hospitals who need invasive cardiac care have to be transferred to Perth. The aim of our research was to determine which patient factors are associated with referral to advanced cardiac care at metropolitan level and how this compares to Australian guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes. Method: Data was collected from patients presenting with chest pain to the rural emergency department, who were at least 18 years old and had given their consent. Exclusion criteria were chest pain accompanied or precipitated by significant co morbidity and prior enrolment in this study protocol. Socioeconomic and medical information of patients was collected from their medical records. Data was analysed using X-2 tests, independent sample t-tests and multivariable logistic-regression models (stepwise backwards procedure). Results: The study included 115 rural patients with chest pain with a mean age of 58 years: 66 (57%) men, 12 (10%) indigenous Australians and 38 (33%) transferred patients. Of all transferred patients 19 (50%) had a positive peak troponin-T, 13 (36%) a high peak creatine kinase (CK) and 12 (32%) persistent ST-elevation on their electrocardiogram, compared with 10 (14%), 12 (17%) and 11 (14%) respectively for non-transferred patients. Chi-square-tests showed significant differences between transfer groups in all three essential initial cardiac investigations and known dyslipidaemia. In multivariate analyses the positive peak troponin-T increased odds of transfer (OR6.40; 95% CI 2.55-16.08). This effect increased after adjustment for gender, serum creatinine and known dyslipidaemia (OR27.61; 95% CI 6.41-119.04). When adjusted for the peak troponin-T, neither ECG with persistent ST-elevation nor high peak CK remained significant. Known dyslipidaemia remained significant and serum creatinine became significant. Gender became significant when adjusted for troponin-T, known dyslipidaemia and serum creatinine. Conclusions: Peak troponin-T is an independent determinant associated with the transfer to advanced care at metropolitan level, but ECG with persistent ST-elevation and peak CK (other essential initial cardiac investigations) are not. Further investigation of the available and provided cardiac care in rural Western Australia is required