[Post-mortems with organ and tissue retention].
Autopsies have always been the basis of new scientific developments, of quality control in hospitals, epidemiology-based health policy decisions and medical education. The socially relevant reasons for conducting an autopsy easily outweigh the feelings and fears of relatives in their decision for or against a post-mortem. The many reservations expressed by patients and their relatives and the competing interests of information, consent, common welfare, and individual autonomy call for regulations which clearly define the legal framework towards post-mortem in accordance with modern medicine. In addition, a public discussion is needed as to whether every citizen should contribute to fulfil this task in terms of an obligatory autopsy. This implies that performing an autopsy is taken for granted and not considered as extraordinary or appalling; see the comment "Autopsie" of the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) in 2006. Furthermore, the urgent necessity of a self-critical approach to medicine shall be emphasized, i.e., of medicine subjecting itself to rigid quality control as the adequate basis of a humane healthcare system. The most reliable and convenient way to achieve this goal will be the ubiquitous establishment of clinical autopsies.
Dietel
Manfred
M
Institut für Pathologie, Charité-University Medicine, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany. manfred.dietel@charite.de
D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002102:Cadaver; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D004501:Education, Medical; D005858:Germany; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011786:Quality Control; D012955:Societies, Medical; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data