15283-B-Blokker

68 Chapter 4 Table 2-A. Study methods and design First author Year of publ. Inclusion criteria Exclusion criteria Post-mortem techniques Reference Standard Blinded study* Imaging Biopsies Other Non-invasive methods Puranik 114 2014 Consecutive patients aged 1-35 years. Referred to dept. of forensic medicine. Death was identified to be sudden. Available scanning time and autopsy delay <24 hours. Verbal and written consent Patients with trauma, suicide or known drug overdose 1st comparison – 1.5 Tesla MRI: (3D) T1, T1 FFE, T2 DE STIR, FLAIR, FFE and IR of the brain; cardiac balanced FFE and T2 STIR short-axis; T2 STIR multiple lung axes 2nd comparison – 64-slice CT from head to pelvis No No Conventional autopsy Yes Roberts 102 2012 First case each study day and study days according to availability of staff Failure to obtain consent 6HYHUH REHVLW\ NJ 8 or 16-slice CT from vertex to symph. pubicus. MRI: T1, DE or FLAIR, and STIR of the brain; T1, STIR and T2 FSE from neck to pelvis; fT2 short-axis of the heart No No Full autopsy Unknown Takahashi 103 2012 Subjects for whom emergency physicians could not determine COD by an external examination. Permission obtained Undoubtedly traumatic deaths Cases that had undergone only head CT 6-slice (155 cases), 16-slice (303 cases) or 64-slice CT (36 cases) from the head to the iliac bone No No 16 conventional autopsies (6 excluding brain); 4 forensic autopsies Radiologists were blinded to autopsy findings. Pathologist were not blinded Westphal 104 2012 Deceased persons delivered for conventional autopsy (randomly selected). Manner of death due to natural cause n/r 64-slice, dual source CT from head to toe No No Conventional autopsy (1 limited to cardiac autopsy) Unknown Wichmann 59 2012 Patients died at an Intensive Care Unit Informed consent Funeral scheduled early CT scanner maintenance Medical autopsy performed before CT Eligible for organ donation Body weight too high for CT scanner Multislice CT from head to abdomen No No Conventional autopsy Yes Roberts 110 2003 Sudden unexpected adult deaths in the community Suspicious, violent or potentially drug-related deaths 1.5 Tesla MRI: T1, GE, FLAIR and T2 of the head; T1, FSE, FLAIR with SPIR fat suppression from neck to pelvis No No Full autopsy Yes Patriquin 111 2001 Consent for both MRI and (limited) surgical dissection Medical examiner cases Pediatric cases 1.5 Tesla MRI: turbo STIR from vertex to the knees using coronal body coil; T2 FFE or T2 SPIR from thorax to pelvis No No 7 conventional autopsies (1 excluding head); 1 percutaneous biopsy technique Yes