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. Of the 9,612 deaths that occurred in Hillsborough County in 2007, 7,491 (77.9%) 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 1915 statutory investigations conducted by the medical examiner in 2006 (see table 1), 1839 included direct examination of the body. 1428 of these examinations included full autopsies.
   
2. An additional 411 bodies were examined externally - to exclude trauma. Extensive medical histories permitted a death certificate to be issued without performing an autopsy.
   
3. 5597 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 or not statutory jurisdiction existed. These investigations were conducted by inquiry without examination of the body.