Autopsy Vent

[Pea-n-Me]

With all due respect to the dead...

Why it is that "celebrities" like Michael Jackson and Billy Mays get their autopsy results reported by the end of the first available day, while the rest of us poor blokes have to wait a full 12 weeks to get our families' results?

Has anyone else had this happen and had it bother them this past week?

 

[CathrynRose]

I don't know about regular ol' autopsies, as I have never had one done...myself, or otherwise.

However - I thought I heard the toxicology report for MJ *would* be 8-12 weeks - which is how long a friend of my son's, took.

 

[Jennasis]

They have the $$$ to pay for rush results maybe?

 

[Piecey]

Yeah, it really got to my husband.

We waited for 5 months on the results of his father's autopsy to tell us cause of death. He died unexpectedly at 52.
We've not seen the results officially but DH's grandmother told us that it said "Sudden death"..

So, to my knowledge at the current moment, we waited 5 months to find out he died of "Sudden death"...
(part of me thinks there has to be more to the report than that but DH's family is odd and we don't dig beyond what they tell us)

 

[Aristomommy]

The toxicology process can't be rushed, so it will take as long as anyone else's. But the family may get results and information along the way in a celebrity case that other families do not get. It is unfair, but celebrities get many kinds of preferential treatment because of their status. Sorry for anyone that is going through this.

 

[bicker]

The celebrity/non-celebrity dichotomy here is a myth, I believe. Most autopsy results are indeed provided within 72 hours -- it is only lab tests that take weeks, and indeed, as we can see in this case, it will take weeks for Michael Jackson, as well.

 

[Octoberbride03]

The autopsy won't be complete until the tox comes back and that will take about 8-12 weeks. The body coroner gave no answers to the family that they didn't give to the press, hence the 2nd autopsy. They didn't see anything obvious to cause the death.

As I've never needed an autopsy yet either, it doesn't bother me that its all said and done except for the tox.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I know they had to wait for quite a few weeks for the toxicology reports on Danny Gans, died early May, results, Rx painkillers, about mid June.

 

[a1tinkfans]

With all due respect to the dead...

Why it is that "celebrities" like Michael Jackson and Billy Mays get their autopsy results reported by the end of the first available day, while the rest of us poor blokes have to wait a full 12 weeks to get our families' results?

Has anyone else had this happen and had it bother them this past week?

Cause they're celebs and they "rule" the roost so to speak. And yeah, thats annoying.....it does take weeks otherwise..

Meanwhile they are reporting here that MJ was 112 pounds, almost No hair left and had many many needle marks on him, AND that he actually overdosed with prescription drugs..........SAD and does not surprise me....he had a doctor on his staff, a live in that had given him a shot of Demerol (no slack meds there) 2-3 hours before his demise..........
He may have been a very talented artist years back, but his recent lifestyle and myriad legal issues marred his status to me.
Amazes me how all these celebs and media are NOW paying him attention when they all treated him like a Pariah for years....

 

[a1tinkfans]

I know they had to wait for quite a few weeks for the toxicology reports on Danny Gans, died early May, results, Rx painkillers, about mid June.

Did you hear the 911 on Ganz????Talk about BIZARRE, his wife was so calm it was Beyond Strange, found it on TMZ I think.........

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The celebrity/non-celebrity dichotomy here is a myth, I believe. Most autopsy results are indeed provided within 72 hours -- it is only lab tests that take weeks, and indeed, as we can see in this case, it will take weeks for Michael Jackson, as well.

I do not believe this is true.

My DH's brother passed away suddenly last year (here in MA) at age 42. My SIL had to wait a FULL 12 weeks for results to learn his CAUSE OF DEATH. It was torture for all of us, waiting and wondering, but especially for her and their children, and his parents, my in-laws.

One of the doctors I work with told me this would be the case, that some of his own patients' families' have had to obtain a lawyer to get results earlier than the 12 weeks. So at least here in MA, this appears to be the norm.

It seems extremely unfair. I know it bothered my husband and I'm sure it upset others in our family this week, too.

If others get results in 72 hrs, then I suppose it wouldn't bother me as much. But 12 weeks vs 24 hrs does.

 

[Angelhalo]

Cause they're celebs and they "rule" the roost so to speak. And yeah, thats annoying.....it does take weeks otherwise..

Meanwhile they are reporting here that MJ was 112 pounds, almost No hair left and had many many needle marks on him, AND that he actually overdosed with prescription drugs..........SAD and does not surprise me....he had a doctor on his staff, a live in that had given him a shot of Demerol (no slack meds there) 2-3 hours before his demise..........
He may have been a very talented artist years back, but his recent lifestyle and myriad legal issues marred his status to me.
Amazes me how all these celebs and media are NOW paying him attention when they all treated him like a Pariah for years....

That report has been reported as being completely fabricated.

 

[bicker]

All I can tell you is what my understanding is. Of course, individual people will have different anecdotal experiences. We see here that there will be a long wait for the results of Michael Jackson's lab tests, so it definitely can be a long wait.

 

[Faith09]

The celebrity/non-celebrity dichotomy here is a myth, I believe. Most autopsy results are indeed provided within 72 hours -- it is only lab tests that take weeks, and indeed, as we can see in this case, it will take weeks for Michael Jackson, as well.

I agree..Most usually done within 24hours. I worked in a laboratory before becoming a RN. The pathologist was quick with autopsy. Want to release the body to the family.

other the other hand...
My brother was killed in a Car accident in October 2008, no autopsy performed but a medical examination was. The results was ready with 24 hours. His toxicology report was not ready for weeks.

 

[Angelhalo]

I agree..Most usually done within 24hours. I worked in a laboratory before becoming a RN. The pathologist was quick with autopsy. Want to release the body to the family.

other the other hand...
My brother was killed in a Car accident in October 2008, no autopsy performed but a medical examination was. The results was ready with 24 hours. His toxicology report was not ready for weeks.

Agreed. I used to work for a Cemetery/Crematory/Funeral home. The rule here at least at that time, was 72 hours.

 

[TheGoofster]

If I may ask a question. Why does a Toxicology report take so long? I'm asking because I really know nothing about this, and it just seems odd that something would take so long. Does it require time for certain chemicals to break up (or break down) or something along those lines?
I'm not questioning what anyone is saying, but I am honestly curious.

 

[Faith09]

If I may ask a question. Why does a Toxicology report take so long? I'm asking because I really know nothing about this, and it just seems odd that something would take so long. Does it require time for certain chemicals to break up (or break down) or something along those lines?
I'm not questioning what anyone is saying, but I am honestly curious.

You can get laboratory toxicology report from the hospital lab within minutes.

In order to get a more deepth report of certain levels and how long was the exposure the labs are sent to a more detailed labortory. Sometimes a state appointed lab. In that case they are doing labs from all over the state.

 

[princess momma]

My uncle died suddenly so the family wanted an autopsy. We knew the results within a few days. It was pretty clear that he died from a PE and toxicology wasn't an issue.

Perhaps if cause of death is not clearly evident by autopsy the toxicology results are more important and they wait to release any info until then. Twelve weeks does seem like an excruciatingly long time to wait for answers.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Most usually done within 24hours.

Sure, my BIL's autopsy was done within 72hrs.

But it took 12 weeks to get the report on his cause of death. Additionally, there was no phone call or anything like that. Just left in the dark for 12 weeks.

Results were straightforward and there were no drugs involved.

A basic toxicology screen can be done right away to give an idea of what you're dealing with and help with preliminary diagnoses (turnaround time in the hospital is a few hours). I understand that additional toxicology reports may be ordered.

 

[daisax]

The "leaked" lab report on Jackson is supposedly phony.

As far as Mays' cause of death being cardiac and not head trauma, the family was probably told immediately that the head xray was negative for a brain injury, so as to put to rest concern that the death was a result of the plane accident. So in his case, distinguishing natural causes from an accident/liability scenario seems like something that you'd want revealed ASAP.