title: Forensic autopsy costs in the city of São Paulo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Modern medical practice involves cost analysis of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. There are no papers dealing with this theme in relation to forensic autopsies in our country.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Analysis of direct costs of forensic autopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cost analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  São Paulo Medical Examiner's Central Office.
  
  
  METHODS
  Year 2001 activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Routine forensic autopsies. MEAN MEASUREMENTS: Analysis of direct costs of personnel and material.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cost of personnel represents 90.38% or US$ 93.46. Material expenses comprised 9.62% or US$ 9.95. Total costs were calculated to be US$ 103.41.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Forensic autopsies have a high cost. Cases to be autopsied should be judiciously selected. Our results are similar to international studies if data are rearranged based on the number of annual necropsies.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Médico Legal of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. hervella.dcir@unifesp.epm.br
authors.forename: Fernando Augusto Mardiros
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Herbella
authors.forename: Pedro Herbella
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delmonte
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Del Grande
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000191:economics*; D001938:Brazil; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans