Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
Predicting Amputation using Local Circulating Mononuclear Progenitor Cells in Angioplasty-treated Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia
Published on: September 22, 2020
Consent of the recently bereaved to post-mortem targeted angiography research: 207 adult cases
Sarah L Saunders1, Jasmin Amoroso, Bruno Morgan
1East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK. gnr3@le.ac.uk
Aims:
To present our experience of prospective telephone consenting for post-mortem CT angiography (PMCT-A) research using HM coroners' cases.
Methods:
Local ethics committee, research and development office, and local HM coroners gave their permission for the families of the deceased, in cases where a 'routine' coroner's autopsy had been authorised, to be approached for their consent to PMCT-A research before the autopsy examination. A forensic pathologist or trial consenter telephoned the next of kin, discussed the nature of the study and obtained verbal informed consent for post-mortem imaging, angiography, case-dependent histological and toxicology sampling and for the use of the images for teaching and training. Thematic analyses of the reasons for giving or refusing consent are provided.
Results:
Of the 207 cases approached, seven relatives refused to enter their next of kin into the study (96.6% consent rate).
Conclusions:
This study shows that prospective consenting for HM coroners' cases to be used for autopsy research is feasible in adults, and can be done ethically, and in the limited time available, by obtaining the consent of the next of kin by telephone before autopsy.
