Overview
Autopsy services at The Ottawa Hospital involve post-mortem examinations of hospitalized adult patients.
These are performed with consent from the next of kin or legal guardian to help clarify the cause of death for the benefit of families and attending physicians.
The Eastern Ontario Regional Forensic Pathology Unit, established in 1994, performs adult medicolegal autopsies under a coroner’s warrant. These forensic autopsies provide important information to families and support the Coroner’s Office in determining the manner of death.
Autopsy findings may be combined with other forensic investigations—such as toxicology, DNA profiling and ballistics—to support legal processes. This can include public inquests or criminal trials related to deaths not caused by natural factors.