Pathology

Question 1

5 Possible Manners of Death in WI and its acronym

Answer 1

S- Suicide
H- Homicide
A- Accident
U- unknown
N- natural

Question 2

Benefits of autopsy to deceased’s family

Answer 2

assists with grieving, identify heritable diseases, identify contagious diseases, assists with ID of missing loved one

Question 3

Benefits of autopsy to medicine and public health

Answer 3

efficacy of therapeutics and diagnostics, quality assurance of clinical care received, education of students and residents, provides normal and diseased tissues for research, public health surveillance for environmental hazards and contagious disease.

Question 4

Legal benefits of autopsy

Answer 4

data for determination of insurance benefits or workman’s comp, evidence of injury and trace evidence for criminal prosecution, explains sudden, unexpected, or unexplained deaths, eliminate suspicions in potential med mal cases.

Question 5

Describe difference b/w restricted and unrestricted autopsy

Answer 5

restricted: certain portion of body only
unrestricted: comprehensive evaluation of decedent by examining all major organs

Question 6

Basic organization of an autopsy

Answer 6

1. external exam
2. internal exam
3. documenting autopsy report

Question 7

Components of external exam in autopsy

Answer 7

look at: evidence of injury, evidence of recent medical intervention, identifying features and decompositional changes (rigor mortis, livor mortis, algor mortis). Trace evidence collected here

Question 8

Describe how to complete internal exam in autopsy

Answer 8

Y-shaped cut for thoracoabdominal exam. Remove viscera via Virchow method (one-by-one), Ghon method (by organ block), or Letulle method (as a single group). For brain, cut posteriorly from ear-to-ear, remove and fix brain for sections, suture incisions.

Question 9

List ancillary studies in autopsy and indications for use

Answer 9

1. immunohistochemistry: unknown tumor, infection, or examination of brain tissue in dementia
2. microbiology: death from infection, use lung tissue, nasal swab, or blood cultures.
3. Tox: blood, urine, or vitreous humor in MVA, suspected overdose, or unexpected death
4. cytogenic analysis: chromosome analysis from viable cells in cases of stillbirth or miscarriage
5. radiology: child abuse, GSW, or pneumothorax or air embolism
6. Misc: sexual assault testing, bullets, pellets, nail clippings for DNA, trace evidence.

Question 10

Coroner cases vs. medical cases

Answer 10

Coroner: for deaths that are sudden, violent, unexpected, or unnatural. Performed by forensic pathologist, no consent needed, death outside hospital, usually natural cause
Medical: pathologist and patho resident perform, next-of-kin consent needed, death in hospital or nursing home, most natural causes

Question 11

Situations requiring notification of coroner for autopsy

Answer 11

death occurs: w/i 24 hours of hospitalization, under anesthetic, when patient hospitalized for non-natural reasons, following an accident, of hospitalized inmate, of infant, or of unidentified person.

Question 12

Define cause of death

Answer 12

injury or disease producing physiological derangment of body that led to the death of the individual

Question 13

Define manner of death

Answer 13

circumstances surrounding death (SHAUN)

Question 14

Define “other significant conditions”

Answer 14

factors that contributed to death but are distinct from the underlying major CoD