Why Should You Scrutinize the Autopsy Because It Is Often Wrong

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 "𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 : 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹"

But there was nothing "𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡" about it ... like at all


In May of 2011 I graduated from medical school

So I thanked all my basic science professors

Then I bid adieu to my clinical professors

And I downsized my bookshelf

The first to go ... 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠


I have nothing against forensic pathologists

It just wasn't my thing back then

But in a remarkable twist of fate

Autopsies are now a major part of my expert practice

Reading them, of course ... 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜


Too often I read the autopsy summary stating

"𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝: 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡"

But there is nothing natural about:

• Having a hypotensive stroke mid-surgery
• Suffering a hypoxic injury from a lost airway
• Experiencing PEA arrest from profound anemia
• Going into cardiac arrest from airway obstruction

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 .....


Why do I bring up these autopsy reports❓

Because a lot of bad medicine is explained away by pointing at an autopsy report's conclusion and saying:

"𝙎𝙚𝙚 ... 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝" as they brush off their hands

... But there was nothing natural about it

These are viable people coming in for procedures

And they deserved better

𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 (𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙮)



𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 "𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨?"