Pathology and coroners court

Question 1

What is the meaning of disease?

Answer 1

Disease is “an abnormality of the body that causes loss of normal health”
All diseases have a set of characteristic features enabling them to be better understood, categorised and diagnosed

Question 2

What does Ana- indicate?

Answer 2

Absence

Question 3

What does Dys- indicate?

Answer 3

Disordered

Question 4

What does Hyper- indicate?

Answer 4

Excess over normal

Question 5

What does Hypo- indicate?

Answer 5

Deficiency below normal

Question 6

What does Meta- indicate?

Answer 6

Change from one state to another

Question 7

What does -itis indicate?

Answer 7

Inflammation

Question 8

What does -oma indicate?

Answer 8

tumour

Question 9

What does -osis indicate?

Answer 9

state/condition

Question 10

What does -oid indicate?

Answer 10

Bearing a resemblance to

Question 11

What does -penia indicate?

Answer 11

Lack of

Question 12

What does -cytosis

indicate?

Answer 12

Increased number of cells

Question 13

What does -ectasis indicate?

Answer 13

Dilation

Question 14

What does -plasia indicate?

Answer 14

Disorder of growth

Question 15

What does -opathy indicate?

Answer 15

Abnormal state lacking specific features

Question 16

What type of organisation is the Coroners court?

Answer 16

Local Government Organisation

Question 17

What does the coroner decide?

Answer 17

Coroner Decides:
When body is released for funeral
Scope of inquiry (breadth and depth)
Witnesses to be called
Leads questioning of witnesses
Reaches Conclusion (if no jury)
Draws lessons : Regulation 28 Reports

Question 18

What is the objective of the coroners court?

Answer 18

Objective to establish facts :
Who died, when and where, how came by death
No one is on trial
No Award of Costs
No Right of Appeal (but judicial review)
Conclusion   (previously called verdict)
Short form ( misadventure (22%), suicide (11%), natural cause (27%))
Narrative (17%)

Question 19

How many deaths were there in Eng & Wales?

How many are reported to the coroner?

Answer 19

533,118

229,700

Question 20

How many inquests relate to those 65+? How many below 25?

Answer 20

60% inquests relate to 65+

5% below age 25

Question 21

Under what circumstances do you report a death to the coroner?

Answer 21

Unnatural
cause of death is not known
Not seen by a Dr within 14 days (or after death)
trauma, violence or suspicions
accident
workplace incident or industrial disease
suicide or self harm
poisoning or drugs overdose (prescribed or illicit)
neglect involved (or self neglect)
Prison or police custody
Mental Health Act section
surgical procedure or anaesthetic implicated
medical mismanagement or medical device
anything odd
The death was linked with a termination of pregnancy
The death occurred within 24 hours of hospital admission unless known to palliative care

Question 22

Coronial Autopsy

Answer 22

Coroners due to a variety of reasons. Can be forensic/non-forensic Family are informed but no permission is needed. >95% of post mortems.

Question 23

Consented autopsy

Answer 23

Rates are decreasing. Undertaken at doctors request to learn more about disease process. Van be partial (i.e biopsy) NEED CONSENT from family. Family can also request this type of autopsy.

Question 24

Are CTs good for autopsies?

Answer 24

They can be used as they are cheap, quick and non-invasive. However they often miss stuff/over attribute things such as CHD to cause of death.