Source+4

"Autopsies." //State of Rhode Island Department of Health//. R.I. Government Agencies, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2012. . __**Facts:**__
 * An autopsy is an intricate post-mortem medical procedure often requiring complex laboratory tests.
 * Viewing of the body at the funeral home will still be possible.
 * It includes examination of all major organs to document injury and/or disease
 * The degree of thoroughness of death investigations varies from case to case.
 * State Law mandates that an autopsy be performed in the case of a sudden, unexpected, or violent death
 *  Due to time and budget constraints, the extent of the coroner or medical examiner's investigation may be limited, and autopsies are not always done on every case.
 * Autopsies do not affect funeral arrangements.
 * Sometimes an external examination of the body or a simple review of medical records makes up the entirety of a postmortem examination.
 * An autopsy report takes from three to six months to complete
 * It sometimes happens that the questions attendant in some deaths endure beyond the determinations and explanations of investigators.
 * To ensure the highest professional standards, a final autopsy report is issued only after all necessary tests
 * To ensure accuracy, many tests take several weeks, or even months to complete.
 * It is the duty of the Office of State Medical Examiners to correctly identify and document the cause of death.
 * there is no charge for the autopsy procedure to the family.
 * It is absorbed through operations of the Department of Health, funded through tax dollars