Forensic autopsy costs in the city of Säo Paulo

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT Modern medical practice involves cost analysis of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. There are no papers dealing with this theme in relation to forensic autopsies in our country. OBJECTIVE: Analysis of direct costs of forensic autopsies. TYPE OF STUDY Cost analysis. SETTING: Säo Paulo Medical Examiner's Central Office. SAMPLE Year 2001 activity. PROCEDURES Routine forensic autopsies. MEAN MEASUREMENTS Analysis of direct costs of personnel and material. RESULTS: Cost of personnel represents 90.38 percent or US$ 93.46. Material expenses comprised 9.62 percent or US$ 9.95. Total costs were calculated to be US$ 103.41. CONCLUSIONS: Forensic autopsies have a high cost. Cases to be autopsied should be judiciously selected. Our results are similar to international studies if data are rearranged based on the number of annual necropsies