Source+9

"When Autopsies are Performed." //Fulton County Medical Examinar//. Fulton County Government, 2011. Web. 24 Aug. 2012. .

__**Facts:**__
 * To d etermine the cause of death where it cannot be determined otherwise.
 * If the family wishes to view the body before removal, this is permissible provided the body is not cleaned or otherwise disturbed.
 * After the organs are removed from the body, they usually are separated from each other and further dissected to reveal any abnormalities, such as tumors, on the inside.
 * Whether to perform an autopsy is the discretion of the Medical Examiner if jurisdiction has been accepted.
 * T o collect evidence from the body.
 * In general, if a reasonable and probable cause of death can be deduced from the decedent's medical history, the circumstances surrounding death, and an external examination of the body, an autopsy may not be necessary.
 * Small samples are typically taken from all organs to be made into slide preparations for examination under a microscope
 * The hospital autopsy is directed principally towards substantiating the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis, the effectiveness of therapy, to evaluate the extent of disease, to determine more completely the cause of death, or for quality assurance reasons.
 * To document findings useful in clarifying time and circumstances of death
 * Sudden, unexpected and unexplained deaths in the young (including the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) without any history of potentially fatal disease.
 * At the end of an autopsy, the incisions made in the body are sewn closed.
 * To obtain evidence aiding in the identification of the body.
 * The organs may be returned to the body or may be retained for teaching,
 * The forensic autopsy is a special kind of autopsy, performed for special reasons. It must be emphasized that there are differences between a hospital autopsy and a forensic autopsy.
 * We also perform an autopsy when death is sudden, unexpected, and not reasonably explained, even if death appears to be due to natural causes.