Learning from the Dead Flashcards
What has the history of autopsy taught medicine?
Anatomy, function, study disease processes, cause of death, evidence for criminal proceedings, assess impact of therapeutic interventions
What is a coroner’s autopsy and when is it required?
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
What is a forensic autopsy?
Sub-type of coroners post-mortems, suspicious deaths
Outline a consent (hospital) autopsy?
Consent from next of kin, may limit examination
Why is a history looked at during an autopsy?
To see diseases, conditions, medications, age, treatments/surgery
Outline what occurs during an external examination
Looking for natural disease, injury, medical intervention
Describe an internal examination
All systems examined (sometimes limited in consent cases)
What additional tests can be carried out during an autopsy?
Histology, toxicology, biochemistry (DKA, renal failure), microbiology, genetics (identification, diseases), fingerprinting
What is an extradural haemorrhage?
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
Describe subdural haemorrhage
Blood collects between the dura and the surface of the brain. It’s usually caused by a head injury
What is a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage?
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
Outline what a stroke is
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
What is a coronary thrombosis
blockage of the flow of blood to the heart, caused by a blood clot in a coronary artery
Describe valvular disease
damage to or a defect in one of the four heart valves: the mitral, aortic, tricuspid or pulmonary
What is a cardiomyopathy?
Non-ischaemic non-inflam disease of the heart muscle
What is an AAA?
Triple A = abdominal aortic aneurysm
What is a DVT and pulmonary embolism?
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
Outline bronchopneumonia?
inflammation of the lungs, arising in the bronchi or bronchioles
What is peritonitis
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.
