The Medical Examiner Department investigates all violent, sudden and unexpected, and unattended deaths. Additionally, Medical Examiner investigation and approval is required before a body is cremated, buried-at-sea, anatomically dissected, or removed from the State. In 2008, of the 10,074 deaths that occurred in Hillsborough County, 7,818 (77.6%) were referred to the Department.

Table 1 summarizes the manner of death statistics for investigations conducted by the Department.

Table 2 provides an analysis of the workload of the Department. The following explanation of the data should aid in understanding the information:

1. Of the 1979 statutory investigations conducted by the medical examiner in 2008 (see table 1), 1794 included direct examination of the body. 1312 of these examinations included full autopsies.
   
2. An additional 482 bodies were examined externally - to exclude trauma. Extensive medical histories permitted a death certificate to be issued without performing an autopsy.
   
3. 5839 other deaths were referred to the medical examiner to obtain approval for cremation, anatomical dissection, burial-at-sea or removal from the State; or to determine whether statutory jurisdiction existed. These investigations were conducted by inquiry without examination of the body.