Lec 9: Autopsy Flashcards
It is a medical procedure involving the examination of a dead body.
Autopsy
Autopsy
1. Other terms
2. In the Philippines, autopsy is performed by whom?
3. Autopsia means ___.
- Obduction / post-mortem examination
- Pathologist and Medical doctors who have received specialty in training
- “To see with one’s own eyes”
The usual classifications of death
- natural
- accident
- suicide
- homicide
- undetermined
Usual Classifications of Death
1. Died of old age
2. Killing of one person by another
3. The 8 most common accidents
- Natural
- Homicide
- 8 most common accidents
• falling objects
• trips & bruises
• sprains
• cuts
• burns
• choking
• poisoning
• secondary to motor vehicular accidents
A specialized form of autopsy with legal implications that are performed to determine if a given death was an accident homicide suicide or a natural event
Forensic autopsy
Reasons for performing autopsies (7)
- to determine the cause of death
- to ascertain whether clinical diagnosis are correct
- to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment
- to gain information for the family about possible genetic conditions
- for teaching and/or research purposes
- to aid in criminal investigations and wrongful death
- to provide closure and reassurance for family members who have questions about diagnosis and treatment
- An autopsy is ordered by a _____ if there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
- [TRUE or FALSE] coroners or medical examiners must give consent for an autopsy before proceeding.
- What is an anatomic pathologist?
- [TRUE or FALSE] Verbal consent is considered
- [TRUE or FALSE] normally, a decedent’s body is the property of the next of kin
- Coroner / medical examiner
- FALSE: relatives of the deceased
- They deal with biopsies and autopsies
- FALSE
- TRUE
- The deceased person’s next of kin (in order)
- [TRUE or FALSE] The relatives providing consent DO NOT have the right to limit the scope of the autopsy.
- Who should perform the autopsy?
- • Spouse
• children
• parents
• siblings
• nearest relative
• guardian
• executor of the state - FALSE
- • certified Anatomic pathologist
• medical doctor receiving specialty in training
• physician responsible to such person
Cases that ALWAYS REQUIRE an Autopsy (11)
- Fire deaths
- homicide
- apparent suicide
- drivers in single car accidents
- occupational related deaths
- natural disease
- civil litigation
- death in official custody
- sudden unexpected death of children
- pilots in aircraft crashes
- unwitnessed accidents
Most standard autopsies consist of an examination of the ___.
- chest cavity
- abdominal cavity
- cranial cavity (& brain)
How is the incision done on the chest and abdomen?
Make a Y or U-shaped incision beginning at the shoulders that meet the sternum and continuous vertically down to pubic bone
How is the incision done on the cranial cavity?
Incision is made at the back of the skull, eat to ear
A type of autopsy wherein a medical condition involves the brain or spinal cord
Complete autopsy
A type of autopsy where in a medical condition involves the brain or spinal cord
Complete autopsy
A type of autopsy that includes organs of the chest and abdominal cavity all the way to the pubic area
Incomplete autopsy
The post-mortem loss of heat from the body
Algor mortis
External examination of the body
- After 1 hour, the body cools ___ per hour
- After 12 hours, the body loses ___ per hour until it reaches ___.
- 0.78°C or 1.4°F
-
a. 0.39°C or 0.7°F
b. the same temperature of the surroundings
The post-mortem discoloration caused by the settling of blood to the lowest parts of the body.
Livor mortis
It is the development of a reddish purple color to the skin due to the pooling of blood as a result of gravity
Livor mortis
Lividity begins about ___ hours after death and becomes fixed after approximately ___ hours.
After ___ hours lividity remains if the skin is pressed.
a. 2 hours
b. 6 hours
c. 8 hours
How does the temperature affect lividity?
a. Higher temperature = increase lividity rate
b. Lower temperature = decrease lividity rate
It is the post-mortem stiffening of the body musculature as the result of chemical changes in the dying muscles.
Rigor mortis
Rigor mortis starts about ___ hours and reaches maximum stiffness after ___ hours and gradually dissipates until about ___ hours after death.
a. 3 to 4 hours
b. 12 hours
c. 48 to 60 hours
What are included in the victim identification procedures?
- Fingerprints
- dental examination
- x-rays
- photographing victim
The phase where we get a piece of the organ and mount it into a slide to observe the microscopic changes that occurred which led to death.
Internal examination of the body
It is the paper trail of your documents from the time they leave your possession to when they are shredded and/or recycled
Chain of custody
