Forensic autopsy costs in the city of São Paulo.

CONTEXT Modern medical practice involves cost analysis of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. There are no papers dealing with this theme in relation to forensic autopsies in our country. OBJECTIVE Analysis of direct costs of forensic autopsies. TYPE OF STUDY Cost analysis. SETTING São Paulo Medical Examiner's Central Office. SAMPLE Year 2001 activity. PROCEDURES Routine forensic autopsies. MEAN MEASUREMENTS: Analysis of direct costs of personnel and material. RESULTS Cost of personnel represents 90.38% or US$ 93.46. Material expenses comprised 9.62% or US$ 9.95. Total costs were calculated to be US$ 103.41. CONCLUSIONS Forensic autopsies have a high cost. Cases to be autopsied should be judiciously selected. Our results are similar to international studies if data are rearranged based on the number of annual necropsies.