Sudden and suspicious deaths outside the deceased's own country--time for an international protocol

Increased leisure time, international business commitments, and ease of travel have led to an increased incidence of sudden deaths outside the deceased's own country. Methods of investigation of sudden death, and the extent of such enquiries, vary greatly from country to country. The relatives of the decreased frequently make serious allegations relating to the circumstances of the death when they return to their homeland, and when the body is repatriated, a local pathologist may be directed to make an examination. This is frequently limited by inadequate police information, inadequate preservation of the organs and the absence of any autopsy report. Examples of these difficulties are presented, and suggestions offered for a basic protocol for the examination and report upon the death of a foreign national. Following the presentation of this paper at the International Association of Forensic Sciences Meeting in Bergen, considerable discussion took place and there have been further developments in the United Kingdom. These are briefly reported.