By Lance Trombly
An autopsy or a postmortem is performed when there is a need to a diagnosis of the cause of death in situations where it is not known or there is a doubt. Postmortems not only look at the body of the deceased but also have to consider the clinical history and other circumstances surrounding the death. Although there is wide use of medical terminology, the autopsy findings are fairly easy to understand as they usually follow some form of logic.
There are four types of postmortems being performed currently. They include clinical, academic, pathological and virtual autopsies. Forensic postmortems are requested by the coroner and are a legal requirement. They are done in cases where crime is suspected to have taken place. The other types are done for scientific research.
Findings are both gross and microscopic. The detail required is dependent on the exact circumstances. Examination starts with simple observation. This is meant to help one pick up any external clues that point towards a certain cause. The observation is of the general appearance of the body, any fresh wounds, scars, physical deformities and so on. The clothes are inspected for tears or bleeds or any other features suggestive of a struggle. Weight and height are measured and documented. There may be need for use of UV light to get the finer details.
Once external examination has been completed, the body can be opened up for internal examination. Organs are examined depending on which system they are found such as the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems. This ensures that none is left out. The weight of each organ is documented. Other important findings include changes in the body cavities such as bleeds, pus formation, abnormal growths and so on. Depending on what is found on initial examination, there may be need to do microscopic studies for particular organs.
Chemical findings are obtained through toxicological studies. Various samples of body fluids such as urine, bile, vitreous humor, gastric contents and bile are all taken for analysis. By estimating the chemical composition of these samples at the time of death, it is possible to have an idea as to whether or not there was an underlying disease process.
Interpretation of results is usually a bit challenging because of the postmortem changes that take place in the body. The values at the time of death are usually estimated and this is likely to lead to inaccuracies. Other changes which pose a challenge to the making of a diagnosis include growth of bacteria, accumulation of fluid within body cavities, muscle stiffness and skin discoloration among others. At times, it is not possible to tell whether the changes occurred before or after death.
All the autopsy findings are compiled together at the end of the examination. The pathologist makes an attempt to find a single explanation of these findings. They frequently incorporate the clinical history in case of a disease process before giving an opinion as to what they think was the cause.
There are four types of postmortems being performed currently. They include clinical, academic, pathological and virtual autopsies. Forensic postmortems are requested by the coroner and are a legal requirement. They are done in cases where crime is suspected to have taken place. The other types are done for scientific research.
Findings are both gross and microscopic. The detail required is dependent on the exact circumstances. Examination starts with simple observation. This is meant to help one pick up any external clues that point towards a certain cause. The observation is of the general appearance of the body, any fresh wounds, scars, physical deformities and so on. The clothes are inspected for tears or bleeds or any other features suggestive of a struggle. Weight and height are measured and documented. There may be need for use of UV light to get the finer details.
Once external examination has been completed, the body can be opened up for internal examination. Organs are examined depending on which system they are found such as the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems. This ensures that none is left out. The weight of each organ is documented. Other important findings include changes in the body cavities such as bleeds, pus formation, abnormal growths and so on. Depending on what is found on initial examination, there may be need to do microscopic studies for particular organs.
Chemical findings are obtained through toxicological studies. Various samples of body fluids such as urine, bile, vitreous humor, gastric contents and bile are all taken for analysis. By estimating the chemical composition of these samples at the time of death, it is possible to have an idea as to whether or not there was an underlying disease process.
Interpretation of results is usually a bit challenging because of the postmortem changes that take place in the body. The values at the time of death are usually estimated and this is likely to lead to inaccuracies. Other changes which pose a challenge to the making of a diagnosis include growth of bacteria, accumulation of fluid within body cavities, muscle stiffness and skin discoloration among others. At times, it is not possible to tell whether the changes occurred before or after death.
All the autopsy findings are compiled together at the end of the examination. The pathologist makes an attempt to find a single explanation of these findings. They frequently incorporate the clinical history in case of a disease process before giving an opinion as to what they think was the cause.
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