Persuasive Essay On Hospital Autopsies

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The word “Autopsy” means ‘to see with one’s own eyes,’ (2) and is a procedure that has been performed since the time of (LOOK UP IN NOTES). Not every death that occurs is subjected to an autopsy – this would be time consuming and expensive. Yet the situations that require such a procedure are different for every state. In fact, there is no federal standard when it comes to autopsy requirements or procedures – a surprising fact, considering the sheer number of years the human race has been practicing the procedure. (INVASIVE) In hospital autopsies have declined worldwide over the last few decades – the most drastic coming from Sweden, whose rates have dropped from 80% to under 40% in a single decade alone. Many first world countries in the present day, including the United States, report these procedures at a rate of less than 10% - a number that is frustrating …show more content…

Though our knowledge of the human body has developed drastically, there will always be more to learn, especially in the field of pathology. In addition to education, this procedure is also used to improve the quality of care that healthcare workers provide for their patients, especially in terms of undetermined diagnoses. Post mortem examinations can help to better identify pathologies, and allow a “hands on” approach that cannot be obtained readily. All in all, though the use of a virtual examination is more widely accepted by a patient’s next of kin and can supply decent information as to a cause of death, nothing can replace the hands on approach that is educating our Doctors and interns. Instead, the use of digital imaging should be utilized as an invaluable asset to the postmortem examination process by aiding in the weak areas of a traditional examination. Perhaps, in time, the technology of these scans can be improved upon, but until then, traditional autopsies will remain the gold standard in

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