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<P>When I was young I lost my mother. I was not in the medical field at the time, neither was anyone in my family. An autopsy was performed on her. We were told by a friend that my mother was chopped into parts in order to do the autopsy. My father and I were horrified! Needless to say when the doctor called us a week later to ask how my father was doing, he was shocked to hear that my father didn't want to talk to him. </P>
<P>He (the doctor) was kind, soft spoken, and eloquent. He told me (before I even let him talk to my father) that we were completely mistaken, that my mother was wholly intact and could have had an open casket (we had her cremated because of our misunderstanding). </P>
<P>My point is this: people who do not understand are afraid. </P>
<P>If you could gently counsel the family, explaining that it will give them closure and not make their loved one any more hurt than they already are (I know, it's silly, but I kept telling myself "Mom, I'm sorry but they said they had to give you this autopsy"). It's hard to "let go". </P>
<P>Maybe if you had a paper explaining what an autopsy actually involved might help. Key phrases? Non-invasive, helpful in getting closure, depending on the trauma, of course, the person would be capable of an open casket? Just those simple words would have given us so much help and understanding. </P>
<P>Regards. Paula</P><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma,sans-serif"></FONT></DIV>
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<P><BR>From: <I>"thomas konig" <tomkonig@hotmail.com></I><BR>Reply-To: <I>"Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list" <trauma-list@trauma.org></I><BR>To: <I>trauma-list@trauma.org</I><BR>Subject: <I>RE: Autopsy Requests: Scripting & Best Practices</I><BR>Date: <I>Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:38:14 +0000</I><BR>Does anyone use Post mortem CT? This is a possible way around the problem.<BR>Tom<BR><BR><BR>>From: Clive Leach <clive@cdleach.wanadoo.co.uk><BR>>Reply-To: "Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list" <BR>><trauma-list@trauma.org><BR>>To: Trauma &amp Critical Care mailing list <trauma-list@trauma.org><BR>>Subject: RE: Autopsy Requests: Scripting & Best Practices<BR>>Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:02:03 +0200 (CEST)<BR>><BR>>hi<BR>>here in england if anyone dies suddenly and it is unexpected a post <BR>>mortem is peformed
.. this has been the norm for many years and since <BR>>a certain dr shipman murdered so many a few years back it is even <BR>>more important now.<BR>>regards clive<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>>========================================<BR>>Message Received: Mar 26 2007, 01:01 PM<BR>>From: "Bjorn, Pret"<BR>>To: "Trauma & Critical Care mailing list"<BR>>Cc:<BR>>Subject: Autopsy Requests: Scripting & Best Practices<BR>><BR>>Maine is a state like many in the U.S. WITHOUT mandatory autopsy for<BR>>trauma deaths -- there simply isn't the money for it. As such, <BR>>deaths<BR>>are referred to local Medical Examiners (mostly general medicine <BR>>folk),<BR>>who have a look at the record and the corpse and determine whether a<BR>>necropsy would help -- for lack of another motivation -- to <BR>>determine<BR>>foul play.
In short, if you can make it look like accidental<BR>>blunt-force injury, you can probably get away with murder around <BR>>here.<BR>><BR>>My hospital provides autopsy (gross post mortem only) for trauma <BR>>deaths<BR>>where the cause is unknown, or when performance issues are in play.<BR>>Problem is, these are voluntary and subject to consent of the <BR>>family.<BR>>Getting consent is a neat trick, though. I wonder if anyone out <BR>>there<BR>>is in the same boat, and suffers varying responses from loved ones <BR>>to<BR>>the option of autopsy.<BR>><BR>>Specifically, I'd be very grateful for any advice on how to present <BR>>the<BR>>issue to families in the most productive manner possible. Is there <BR>>any<BR>>winning script, or are there key phrases that maybe we haven't <BR>>thought<BR>>of?<BR>><BR>>I think our
surgeons are very sensitive and encouraging, and quick <BR>>to<BR>>point out that the service is underwritten by the hospital (should <BR>>be<BR>>obvious to families, but isn't); but there's a predictable visceral<BR>>reaction to the request that we haven't been able to overcome.<BR>><BR>>Thanks for your thoughts and advice.<BR>><BR>>Pret Bjorn, RN<BR>>Bangor, ME USA<BR>><BR>>--<BR>>trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG<BR>>To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:<BR>>http://www.trauma.org/index.php?/community/<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>>Regards Clive<BR>>--<BR>>trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG<BR>>To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:<BR>>http://www.trauma.org/index.php?/community/<BR><BR>_________________________________________________________________<BR>Get Hotmail, News, Sport and Entertainment from MSN on your
mobile. http://www.msn.txt4content.com/<BR><BR>--<BR>trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG<BR>To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:<BR>http://www.trauma.org/index.php?/community/<BR></P></FONT></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr> <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMBENUS/2734??PS=47575" target="_top">Live Search Maps – find all the local information you need, right when you need it.</a> </html>