How does the forensic pathologist use the history?
Death investigation always begins at the scene. The scene investigation may give clues as to drugs or toxins which may be related to the cause of death. Some poisonous agents are not detected on routine drug screens therefore the pathologist must have knowledge of medications and toxins in order to request the specific analytical tests needed to detect them. An example would include the “sniffing” or “huffing” of aerosol propellants, a risky activity which has been frequently reported in teenagers. Sniffing of propellant substances can cause sudden death by precipitating lethal cardiac arrhythmias. A special analysis (gas chromatography by head space analysis) is required to detect the chemicals in the blood. In other cases there may be sufficient natural disease to account for death but the individual may in fact have died of a drug overdose or other subtle cause. In the case of drowning and suffocation the autopsy findings are not specific and police investigation is critical to the
