Certification of Death: External Postmortem Examination

Abstract

The first and most important purpose of the external postmortem examination is the determination of death not only in the interest of the decedent but also as a social requirement. In the confidential part of the death certificate, under the heading ‘Cause of death’, the course of the disease has to be documented within a causal chain. Concerning the Corona pandemic in 2019–2020, the mortality rate in different countries differed widely. The mortality rate was high in Italy and Spain, but comparatively low in Germany. In 2017, 932,272 deaths were reported in Germany; according to the Federal Statistical Office, in about 96% of these, the causes of death were natural. Death in police custody occurs mainly in males within the fourth to fifth decade of life. Of deaths in prison, 30–40% are due to natural diseases, mostly cardiovascular diseases.