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Review article: Biomedical intelligence

Vol. 145 No. 2526 (2015)

Sudden cardiac death in forensic medicine – Swiss recommendations for a multidisciplinary approach

  • Matthias Wilhelm
  • Stephan A Bolliger
  • Christine Bartsch
  • Siv Fokstuen
  • Christoph Gräni
  • Viktor Martos
  • Argelia Medeiros Domingo
  • Antonio Osculati
  • Claudine Rieubland
  • Sara Sabatasso
  • Ardan M Saguner
  • Christian Schyma
  • Joelle Tschui
  • Daniel Wyler
  • Zahurul A. Bhuiyan
  • Florence Fellmann
  • Katarzyna Michaud
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2015.14129
Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2015;145:w14129
Published
14.06.2015

Summary

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is by definition unexpected and cardiac in nature. The investigation is almost invariably performed by a forensic pathologist. Under these circumstances the role of the forensic pathologist is twofold: (1.) to determine rapidly and efficiently the cause and manner of death and (2.) to initiate a multidisciplinary process in order to prevent further deaths in existing family members. If the death is determined to be due to “natural” causes the district attorney in charge often refuses further examinations. However, additional examinations, i.e. extensive histopathological investigations and/or molecular genetic analyses, are necessary in many cases to clarify the cause of death. The Swiss Society of Legal Medicine created a multidisciplinary working group together with clinical and molecular geneticists and cardiologists in the hope of harmonising the approach to investigate SCD. The aim of this paper is to close the gap between the Swiss recommendations for routine forensic post-mortem cardiac examination and clinical recommendations for genetic testing of inherited cardiac diseases; this is in order to optimise the diagnostic procedures and preventive measures for living family members.

The key points of the recommendations are (1.) the forensic autopsy procedure for all SCD victims under 40 years of age, (2.) the collection and storage of adequate samples for genetic testing, (3.) communication with the families, and (4.) a multidisciplinary approach including cardiogenetic counselling.

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