Missed Questions: Autopsy

Question 1

What is the potency of Carfentanil in relation to morphine and fentanyl?

Answer 1

Carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

Question 2

Diagnosis?

Answer 2

Atrial Septal Defect, Secundum Type

Question 3

What are the options for manner of death?

Answer 3

1. Natural
2. External
   
   1. Homicide
   2. Suicide
   3. Accidental
   4. Undetermined

Question 4

Decedent discovered after building fire. Diagnosis?

Answer 4

Thermal Epidural Hematoma

Do not mistake for true epidural.

Question 5

What is Cause of Death and what are its components, as relates to the death certificate?

Answer 5

Cause of Death:

1. Immediate: proximate (most recent) disease causing death.
2. Underlying: disease or pathologic alteration that started chain of events leading to death.

Cause of Death, Death Certificate:

1. Part I: describes chain of events leading to death stating immediate and underlying cause as well as approximate duration in relation to death
2. Part II: other significant conditions that contributed to death but did not result in underlying cause of death

Question 6

Middle aged female with elevated ACE levels, deceased from CHF.

Answer 6

Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Question 7

What is likely the instrument used in this case?

Answer 7

A serrated knife

• Multiple, superficial, linear parallel lines are consistent with a serrated knife injury

Question 8

Decedent expired in ICU. Diagnosis?

Answer 8

Lobar Pneumonia

• Classic cause is Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Demonstrates widespread suppurative/fibrinous consolidation
• Occurs in four stages:
  
  • Congestion
  • Red hepatization
  • Grey hepatizaion
  • Resolution

BELOW: grey hepatization

Question 9

MVC post-mortem. Diagnosis?

Answer 9

Cerebral Contusions

Question 10

Decedent with history of IV drug abuse. Diagnosis?

Answer 10

Talcosis with foreign body giant cell reaction

• IV injection or inhalation of pharmaceuticals meant for oral use may introduce insoluble material - such as talc, cellulose or starch - into the lungs, causing a foreign body reaction.

Question 11

What are the responsibilites of the FAA and the NTSB in airline crash fatalities?

Answer 11

• NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board): Dispatches a “Go Team” tasked with promptly and effectively reaching the accident scene to investigate and use expertise to help solve the complex problem that caused the crash. Only take lead if the crash involves fatalities.
• FAA (Federal Aviation Administration): Usually only involved on-scene if there is a regulatory oversight leading to the crash, or if there are no fatalities.

Question 12

Taken from an infant decedent. Not mass forming. What is this?

Answer 12

Normal Brown Fat

• More abundant in infants and are located in multiple areas including:
  
  • Interscapula
  • Supraclavicular
  • Suprarenal
  • Pericardial
  • Para-aortic
  • Peri-pancreatic
  • Peri-renal
  • Para-tracheal

BELOW: gross photo of hibernoma (brown fat forming mass)