Post-Mortem Technique Flashcards
What does gross pathology refer to?
It refers to macroscopic manifestations of disease in organs, tissues and body cavities
Name 5 pieces of equipment you would need for a post-mortem
- PPE, including latex gloves, coverals and a plastic apron
- Sharp blades for cutting soft tissue
- Sturdy instruments for cutting bone and removing brain
- Dissection instruments
- Measurement tools
- Camera
What are some things you may notice on an external examination
- Body Condition (dehydration, adipose tissue,…)
- External lesions e.g wounds, hair clipping
- Colour of the mucus membranes, skin and sclera
- Discharge from orifices
- Ectoparasites
What is the purpose of incising the skin of the axilla
reflects the right or both forelimbs
What is the purpose of incising the skin of the groin
Opens the coxo-femoral cavity to disarticulate the right or both limbs
What is an agonal change?
Changes that occur at or around the time of death
they are often due to the mechanism of death (e.g cardiorespiratory failure)
Pallor mortis
paleness due to cessation of blood circulation
What is algor mortis
cooling of the carcass (depends on size, amount of fat, environmental temperature and conditions)
What is rigor mortis
rigidity
What is Livor mortis?
hypostatic congestion- pooling of blood in dependent sites due to gravity
Name 6 post-mortem changes
- Pallor mortis
- Algor mortis
- Rigor mortis
- Livor mortis
- Rumen mucousal sloughing
- Bloating
What is rumen mucousal sloughing?
failure to slough after many hours (6-12) which may indicate an underlying lesion
What are some non-lesion post-mortem findings?
- Meningeal fibrosis
- Spinal dural ossification
- Lens sclerosis
- Teeth wear and tear
- Oesophageal gland dilation
What is autolysis?
Breakdown of tissue as a result of enzymes contained within cells
What is putrefaction?
Breakdown of dead tissue by overgrowth of microorganisms
What is dessication?
Loss of water from tissues
What is the purpose of insect colonization?
allows the determination of the time of death
What do clots look like in post-mortem?
They are not adhered to vessel walls and they form casts of the vessels in which they are found
What do anti-mortem thrombi in arteries look like post-mortem?
They will be attached to the artery wall, they are often dry and taper off in the direction of blood flow before death
What is haemoglobin imbibtion?
Staining of tissues by haemoglobin pigment due to erythrocyte rupture after death
What is bile imbibition?
Staining of tissues by bile pigment leaching out from the gall bladder after death
What is pseudomelanosis?
Blue-green / green-black discolouration from hydrogen sulphide created by putrefying bacteria (gut, kidneys, liver, spleen)
What is pseudoicterus?
occurs only in horses
: Relative increase of normal blood pigments including carotene (e.g., dehydration) vs Guernsey and Jersey cattle, most primates, etc.
