Autopsy Flashcards
What are some other terms for an autopsy?
Post-mortem examination
Necropsy
What does an autopsy involve?
A history
External examination
Internal examination
What is looked at in the external examination?
Natural disease
Injury
Medical interventions e.g. surgery
What is looked at in the internal examination?
Usually all body systems
What information is gained from the history?
Immediate circumstances before death
Previous conditions
What are the additional tests?
Histology Toxicology Biochemistry Microbiology Molecular tests
What is looked at in toxicology?
Blood
urine
vitreous
bile
Looking for overdose of therapeutic drugs, recreational drugs
What is looked in biochemistry tests?
Measure ketones in blood
Looking for diabetic ketoacidosis, alcoholic ketoacidosis
Urea, creatinine
remain stable after death
so can tell if were elevated at time of death
Looking for renal failure
What is looked at in microbiology?
Bacteria, viruses, fungi
Grown in culture
PCR to identify them
What is looked at in molecular tests?
Genetic fingerprinting
Identify, eliminate suspects
Test for genetic diseases e.g. cardiomyopathy, conduction disorders
What are the requirements for a coroner’s autopsy?
Deceased is unknown
Decreased not seen by doctor within 14 days of dearh
Doctor can’t give cause of death
Unnatural death e.g. murder, accident, suicide
Death related to occupational disease or accident
Death related to medical procedure or treatment
What is a forensic autopsy?
Sub-type of coroner’s autopsy
For suspicious deaths
Is consent required for a coronery’s autopsy?
No
It’s a legal requirement
What is a consent autopsy?
Must get consent from next of kin duh
May limit examination e.g. body parts examined, order in which they are examined
When are paediatric autopsies carried out?
Death in utero
Perinatal deaths
Death in infancy, sudden
Suspicious deaths
