Demographic data

The first part of an autopsy report indicates the demographic data: who the patient was, how old they were, when and where they died, and many other important data (Table 6). The following sections relate to the information as presented in the autopsy report as a stand alone document, and not the supporting documentation (i.e. this is material that the pathologist him/herself presents in the report).

* What is a pathologist? Most of those performing the autopsies were consultants, most but not all of whom were members/fellows of the Royal College of Pathologists; there were also specialist registrars and senior house officers performing autopsies and signing reports (described in more detail later). A proportion of pathologists were forensic specialists, but the study did not distinguish those belonging to a forensic department from those who were independent, self-employed practitioners.
** This refers to a named person who identified the body to the pathologist.
*** This refers to the method by which the pathologist identified the body, for example, by wrist band.

From the autopsy report, a note was made of the pathologists' appointment (Table 7).