Determining the Need for a Forensic Pathologist
Pathology is the medical specialty that studies the changes in the form or function of the human body or its components. Anatomic Pathology specifically addresses changes to the structures of the body (anatomy). Forensic Pathology, a subspecialty of Anatomic Pathology, comprises the investigation and certification of deaths, specifically deaths that are violent (where any injury plays any role in causing the death), sudden, unexplained, medically unattended, or in public. Forensic Pathology also pertains to deaths due to disease or conditions that may pose a threat to the public health, deaths related to medical intervention, and deaths in custody (such as police custody).
Interpretation of injuries is a routine component of Forensic Pathology, which is not so for any other medical specialty. Other specialties are trained and experienced in treating injuries and illnesses, but only Forensic Pathology focuses exclusively on analyzing their causes and mechanisms. Unlike Dr. Arden, the vast majority of clinicians are not specifically trained in this type of analysis.
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