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Pathological Processes * > S2 Learning from the Dead > Flashcards

S2 Learning from the Dead Flashcards

1
Q

What has examination of dead bodies over the centuries provided?

A
  • detailed info about the human anatomy
  • opportunity to relate structure to function
  • ability to study the effects of disease processes and allow clinicopathological correlation/cause of death
  • evidence for criminal proceedings
  • ability to assess the impact of therapeutic interventions
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2
Q

Why do we still need to learn from the dead?

A
  • studies have shown that there are continuous discrepancies between ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnosis
  • allows research into specific clinical areas like neurodegenerative disorders, chronic renal disease and lung cancer
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3
Q

What is an autopsy?

A

“To see for oneself”

The same as a post-mortem

Examining dead people

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4
Q

What are the 3 types of autopsy?

A
  1. Medicolegal
  2. Forensic
  3. Consent (hospital)
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5
Q

What is a medicolegal autopsy?

A
  • performed on behalf of HM coroner

* no consent needed - to avoid any possibly interference by e.g. family members (who possibly killed them?)

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6
Q

What is a forensic autopsy?

A
  • a subtype of coroner’s post-mortems

* looks into suspicious deaths

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7
Q

What is a consent (hospital) autopsy?

A
  • consent from the next of kin which may limit the examination
  • to determine exactly why they died and for research?
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8
Q

When is a coroner’s autopsy carried out?

A
  • if the deceased is unknown
  • if the deceased wasn’t seen by a doctor within the last 14 days of death (extended if someone has a chronic condition)
  • the attending doctor can’t give a cause of death
  • obviously unnatural (murder, accident, suicide)
  • death related to occupation disease or accident e.g. asbestos exposure or injury from machinery
  • death related to a medical treatment or procedure
  • those in prison, etc
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9
Q

What 3 stages do you carry out in an autopsy?

A
  1. History
  2. External examination
  3. Internal examination
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10
Q

What additional tests do you carry out in an autopsy?

A
  • histology (to make/confirm a diagnosis)
  • toxicology (any drugs in system?)
  • biochemistry (e.g ketoacidosis, renal failure)
  • microbiology (bacteria, viruses, fungi) - interpret with caution as body could be invaded by these after death
  • molecular (identification/elimination of a suspect, testing for genetic diseases)
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11
Q

What are 4 causes of common death?

A

Injury to:

  • head
  • heart
  • blood vessels
  • lungs
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12
Q

Give some examples of head/brain damage leading to death.

A
  • extradural haemorrhage
  • subdural haemorrhage
  • sub-arachnoid haemorrhage
  • stroke
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13
Q

Give some examples of heart damage leading to death.

A
  • coronary thrombosis
  • valvular disease
  • cardiomyopathy (hypertrophy, obstructive, dilated, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy)
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14
Q

Give some examples of blood vessel damage leading to death.

A
  • ruptured (abdominal) aortic aneurysm

* deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

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15
Q

Give an example of lung damage leading to death.

A
  • bronchopneumonia

* pneumothorax

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16
Q

What is the benefit of post-mortem imaging?

A

It reduces the need for invasive autopsy (it is already used alongside autopsy)

Can use CT, MRI and coronary angiography (inject with contrast after death)

17
Q

What is neuropathology? When are autopsies for this sort carried out?

A

Cellular pathology restricted to the CNS, peripheral nerves, muscle

After trauma (to any of these areas) or neurodegenerative diseases

18
Q

What are three examples of neuropathological diseases?

A
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Lewy body dementia
  • bovine spongiform encephalopathy
19
Q

When are paediatric autopsies carried out?

A
  • death in utero
  • perinatal deaths
  • death in infancy (e.g. sudden infant death)
  • suspicious death
20
Q

Why are paediatric autopsies important?

A

Parent’s want to know if the same will happen to their next child

Important for medicolegal and safeguarding issues

But also teaching and research

21
Q

What examinations/tests do you carry out in paediatric autopsies?

A
  • macroscopic examination
  • microscopic examination
  • toxicology
  • microbiology
  • genetic studies (will it happen with the parents next child ( esp. if death is in-utero/perinatal)
22
Q

What were issues with learning from the dead in the past?

A
  • was forbidden by Christianity so used apes
  • no way of keeping bodies cool e.g. refrigerators
  • bodies were stolen from graves as there was a shortage of cadavers for teaching (Burke and Hare even murdered people that they then sold to Edinburgh medical school)

Pathological Processes * (10 decks)

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