[The patient has died … now what? : Step by step-what happens with patients after their death?]

The determination of a person's death, the subsequent post-mortem examination and the creation of the death certificate are part of regular medical work. The post-mortem examination, which is exclusively a medical duty, must be carried out immediately after the determination of death and includes in particular the definition of the cause of death and the type of death, which, in the case of a non-natural or unexplained death, entails further investigations by the police or public prosecutor and sometimes also forensic examinations. This article aims to shed more light on the possible processes after the death of a patient.