Learning from the Dead

Question 1

What has the history of autopsy taught medicine?

Answer 1

Anatomy, function, study disease processes, cause of death, evidence for criminal proceedings, assess impact of therapeutic interventions

Question 2

What is a coroner’s autopsy and when is it required?

Answer 2

Performed on behalf of HM coroner, no consent needed: when deceased is not known or not seen by Dr in ~14 days, obvious unnatural death, death related to occupational disease/accident/medical treatments/procedure

Question 3

What is a forensic autopsy?

Answer 3

Sub-type of coroners post-mortems, suspicious deaths

Question 4

Outline a consent (hospital) autopsy?

Answer 4

Consent from next of kin, may limit examination

Question 5

Why is a history looked at during an autopsy?

Answer 5

To see diseases, conditions, medications, age, treatments/surgery

Question 6

Outline what occurs during an external examination

Answer 6

Looking for natural disease, injury, medical intervention

Question 7

Describe an internal examination

Answer 7

All systems examined (sometimes limited in consent cases)

Question 8

What additional tests can be carried out during an autopsy?

Answer 8

Histology, toxicology, biochemistry (DKA, renal failure), microbiology, genetics (identification, diseases), fingerprinting

Question 9

What is an extradural haemorrhage?

Answer 9

type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the middle meningeal artery in which a build-up of blood occurs between the dura mater (the tough outer membrane of the central nervous system) and the skull

Question 10

Describe subdural haemorrhage

Answer 10

Blood collects between the dura and the surface of the brain. It’s usually caused by a head injury

Question 11

What is a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage?

Answer 11

Life-threatening type of stroke caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain. SAH can be caused by a ruptured aneurysm, AVM, or head injury

Question 12

Outline what a stroke is

Answer 12

Sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen = blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery.

Sudden loss of speech, weakness, or paralysis of one side of the body

Abbreviated CVA = cerebrovascular accident

Question 13

What is a coronary thrombosis

Answer 13

blockage of the flow of blood to the heart, caused by a blood clot in a coronary artery

Question 14

Describe valvular disease

Answer 14

damage to or a defect in one of the four heart valves: the mitral, aortic, tricuspid or pulmonary

Question 15

What is a cardiomyopathy?

Answer 15

Non-ischaemic non-inflam disease of the heart muscle

Question 16

What is an AAA?

Answer 16

Triple A = abdominal aortic aneurysm

Question 17

What is a DVT and pulmonary embolism?

Answer 17

Pulmonary embolism (PE) usually happens when a blood clot called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), often in your leg, travels to your lungs and blocks a blood vessel. That leads to low oxygen levels in your blood. It can damage the lung and other organs and cause heart failure

Question 18

Outline bronchopneumonia?

Answer 18

inflammation of the lungs, arising in the bronchi or bronchioles

Question 19

What is peritonitis

Answer 19

Inflammation of the peritoneum, the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of the abdomen, causes = an abdominal wound or injury, ruptured appendix, stomach ulcer, perforated colon.