Radiographs interpretation by forensic pathologists: a word of warning
| Autor: | Stéphanie Racette, Anny Sauvageau, Célia Kremer, Dominique Marton |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
Child abuse
Forensic pathology Poison control Context (language use) Autopsy Occupational safety and health Bone and Bones Pathology and Forensic Medicine Fractures Bone Cost Savings Injury prevention Medicine Humans Child Abuse Diagnostic Errors Child Forensic Pathology business.industry Infant Newborn Quebec Infant medicine.disease Child mortality Radiography Child Preschool Medical emergency Clinical Competence business |
| Zdroj: | The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology. 29(4) |
| ISSN: | 1533-404X |
| Popis: | In child deaths investigation, radiologic examination is particularly important in the diagnosis of child abuse. In the province of Quebec, Canada, all autopsies for suspicious deaths are performed at a centralized forensic laboratory where, because of budget restrictions, forensic pathologists rely on their own knowledge for radiographs interpretations. To assess the validity of this radiologic examination by nonradiologist forensic specialist, we reviewed all cases of child death on a 1-year period. A total of 20 cases were reviewed by an experienced pediatric radiologist, and this interpretation was compared with pathologist's conclusions. Forensic pathologists missed an important finding in 3 positive cases. Yet, none of those missed findings would have significantly changed the cases outcome, because other autopsy findings had already oriented the final diagnosis. Nevertheless, this result is alarming. In a general context of financing problems, it can be appealing to management team to restrict access to external consultants. This study is important in reminding that such money savings do not come without a decrease in quality. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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