[Inspection of a corpse by the family physician (general practitioner) in practice and nursing home]

Inspection of a corpse by the physician is a responsible last service he can offer his patient. Apart from reliably establishing death and the time of its occurrence, the physician must thoroughly inspect the corpse to clarify the cause of death. Regrettably, the results of an autopsy are often at odds with the cause of death as entered in the death certificate. Poor nursing care and homicides can be detected only on the basis of correct information about the cause of death. Only then do statistics on causes of death in the population make sense and can provide useful data. If an unnatural cause of death is suspected, or if it is not possible to ascertain the cause, the police or public prosecutor (coroner) must be notified.