Observational studyBMJ open2018
Can virtual autopsy with postmortem CT improve clinical diagnosis of cause of death? A retrospective observational cohort study in a Dutch tertiary referral centre.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Postmortem imaging findings and cause of death determination compared with autopsy: a systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy and meta-analysis.International journal of legal medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Performance of postmortem CT in the diagnosis of natural death from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Japanese journal of radiology · 2024Article
- Cutoff CT value can identify upper gastrointestinal bleeding on postmortem CT: Development and validation study.PloS one · 2024Article
- Essence of postmortem computed tomography for in-hospital deaths: what clinical radiologists should know.Japanese journal of radiology · 2023Review
- Exploration of sepsis assisting parameters in hospital autopsied-patients: a prospective study.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Forensic imaging: a powerful tool in modern forensic investigation.Forensic sciences research · 2022Review
- Delayed cerebral enhancement on post-mortem computed tomography due to residual contrast medium administered shortly before death.Radiology case reports · 2021Article
- COVID-19 in the autopsy room-requirements, safety, recommendations and pathological findings.Forensic science, medicine, and pathology · 2021Review
- Is it time for targeted and minimally invasive post-mortem examination using total body computed tomography in a medicolegal autopsy?Forensic science, medicine, and pathology · 2021Article
- Clinical Relevance of Unexpected Findings of Post-Mortem Computed Tomography in Hospitalized Patients: An Observational Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Observational
- Performance of the minimally invasive autopsy tool for cause of death determination in adult deaths from the Brazilian Amazon: an observational study.Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology · 2019Observational
- Implementation of modern tools in autopsy practice-the way towards contemporary postmortal diagnostics.Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology · 2019Article
- Virtual Autopsy in Medicolegal Investigations: A Systematic Review of Accuracy and Practical Utility.International journal of applied & basic medical researchReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate whether virtual autopsy with postmortem CT (PMCT) improves clinical diagnosis of the immediate cause of death.
designRetrospective observational cohort study. INCLUSION CRITERIA: inhospital and out-of-hospital deaths over the age of 1 year in whom virtual autopsy with PMCT and conventional autopsy were performed. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: forensic cases, postmortal organ donors and cases with incomplete scanning procedures. Cadavers were examined by virtual autopsy with PMCT prior to conventional autopsy. The clinically determined cause of death was recorded before virtual autopsy and was then adjusted with the findings of virtual autopsy. Using conventional autopsy as reference standard, we investigated the increase in sensitivity for immediate cause of death, type of pathology and anatomical system involved before and after virtual autopsy.
settingTertiary referral centre.
participants86 cadavers that underwent conventional and virtual autopsy between July 2012 and June 2016.
interventionPMCT consisted of brain, cervical spine and chest-abdomen-pelvis imaging. Conventional autopsy consisted of thoracoabdominal examination with/without brain autopsy. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Increase in sensitivity for the immediate cause of death, type of pathology (infection, haemorrhage, perfusion disorder, other or not assigned) and anatomical system (pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, other or not assigned) involved, before and after virtual autopsy.
resultsUsing PMCT, the sensitivity for immediate cause of death increased with 12% (95% CI 2% to 22%) from 53% (41% to 64%) to 64% (53% to 75%), with 18% (9% to 27%) from 65% (54% to 76%) to 83% (73% to 91%) for type of pathology and with 19% (9% to 30%) from 65% (54% to 76%) to 85% (75% to 92%) for anatomical system.
conclusionWhile unenhanced PMCT is an insufficient substitute for conventional autopsy, it can improve diagnosis of cause of death over clinical diagnosis alone and should therefore be considered whenever autopsy is not performed.
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