Autopsy

From ArticleWorld

An autopsy is a medical and/or forensic examination of a dead human being, generally for the purposes of defining the cause of the individual’s death. Usually, this exam is performed by a pathologist who may or may not be a medical examiner.

Clinical autopsy

A clinical autopsy is performed in hospital pathology labs or in the hospital morgue and is done to determine the cause of death and possibly for educational or research purposes. The body is studied in one or more of several ways. X-ray and blood evaluation can factor into the clinical suspicion of the cause of the individual’s death. A gross examination basically means a visual inspection of some or all of the individual organs. Generally, not all of the organs are removed, weighed or measured unless the organ is diseased or unusual in appearance.

A microscopic evaluation means that areas of interest are biopsied and processed for evaluation under the microscope which can further define the exact pathological cause of death, particularly if the death was due to some type of systemic disease, liver disease or an unknown type of cancer. Often it is the microscopic examination that completely clarifies the cause of death in confusing cases where no obvious abnormalities can be seen on gross examination.

Forensic autopsy

A forensic autopsy is performed by a qualified medical examiner/pathologist who is specially-trained to perform legal autopsies to determine the cause of death in someone who has no clear-cut reason for being dead. Generally all out-of-hospital deaths of someone who was not being treated for an obvious medical problem are candidates for this kind of autopsy.

In a forensic autopsy, X-rays and blood tests are performed that may help determine if the individual was shot, poisoned, under the influence of drugs or sustained any bony injury. The gross examination involves the measuring and weighing of all body organs, often including the brain. Samples of pertinent organs or tissues are obtained for microscopic evaluation, if necessary.

Forensic autopsies differ from clinical ones in many ways. In forensic autopsies, items such as penetrated knives and bullets are collected for legal evidence. Trajectories of bullets as well as the path of other penetrating objects are determined. Pictures are taken for the prosecution of possible offenders, such as sites of blunt trauma, strangulation or other marks, or particular areas of entrance and exit wounds.

Death certificates

In either clinical or forensic autopsies, the examining doctor must choose from a variety of possible causes of death, including natural, accidental, homicidal, suicidal or an undetermined cause of death. Generally, the doctor is asked to specify the particular cause of death and the interval between the onset of the person’s fatal condition and his or her actual death. Death certificates also contain pertinent information about the individual, his or her parents and the dates of birth and death.