Fulminant hepatic failure following halothane anaesthesia

Abstract

The forensic pathologist is responsible for determining the cause, manner and approximate time of death and injury. After recording the detailed description of the external and internal appearances, a short summary should be offered of the major positive findings and their relationship to the cause of death. In many cases this will be obvious, however when the findings are less clear-cut, or are multiple, then the alternatives should be discussed detailing the possible sequence of events and interpreting the findings in concluding the cause of death. It is essential to causally connect the autopsy findings to the cause of death. We present a case report wherein a person who sustained avulsion injury to his left hand in an industrial accident, died due to, fulminant hepatitis, hepatic encephalopathy and acute renal failure, having undergone six operations under general anesthesia with halothane during his stay in the hospital.