Postmortem Examination Pt. 1

Quiz 1

5 Different Ruling Categories for manner of death

Natural

Accident

Homicide

Suicide

Undetermined

TRUE OR FALSE: Not everyone receives an autopsy upon death

TRUE

Who can order an autopsy?

Coroner/Medical Examiner

TRUE OR FALSE: An autopsy can be made without consent to next of kin

TRUE

What year was the first recorded autopsy?

44 B.C.

First recorded autopsy

Antitius’ autopsy on Julius Caesar after his assassination

What wound was considered fatal in Julius Caesar’s assassination?

Wound to the chest that ruptured an aorta

Who wrote “Hsi Yuan Lu” or The Washing Away of Wrongs

Song Ci

What is “The Washing Away of Wrongs” about?

Instruction manual on how to conduct medico-legal investigations, examining corpses, and determine the time and cause of death

Year “The Washing Away of Wrongs” was written

1247

Person who conducted the first legal autopsy?

Bartolomeo da Varignana

Year the first legal autopsy happened

1302

TRUE OR FALSE: In the Renaissance, anatomy teachers would dissect cadavers themselves

FALSE

Why is the statement “In the Renaissance, anatomy teachers would dissect cadavers themselves”

Because cadavers are opened by “LAY DISSECTOR”

The Father of Modern Pathology

Rudolf Virchow

Why Postmortem Examination?

* Scientific medicine of high quality is practiced, PME is performed
* To find out how physicians “lost” their patient
* When criminal law is enforced
* To show in a death certificate accurately the cause of death and confirmed medical diagnosis
* Whenever there is medical research on the causes and nature of diseases
* To know more for the good of medical science and for the public’s health and for the future

Most important step in the autopsy procedure

Confirming of decedent identity

Consent for autopsy hierarchy

1. Spouse
2. Adult children
3. Adult grandchildren
4. Parent
5. Brother/Sister
6. Nephew
7. Grandparent
8. Uncle/Aunt
9. Cousin
10. Stepchildren

Preparing for the Autopsy

* If autopsy is not required by law, it CANNOT be done until the next of kin gives permission
* Consent form must be signed in the presence of a witness
* Review records and medical history

PME Preliminaries

1. Written consent from the next of kin-abide by the extent or restrictions allowed
2. Death certificate (blue/pink white forms)
3. Medical abstract/Clinical data
4. Medicolegal clearance

Complete autopsy

All body cavities are examined (including the head/brain)

Limited (Partial) Autopsy

Excludes the head/brain

Selective

Specific organs only are examined

Times when Autopsies are performed

1. Ordered by police officer
2. Necessary to complete death certificate
3. Deceased him/herself has given consent before death
4. Deceased military personnel who dies in active duty in military

Time carried out to do autopsy

48 hours after death