AUTOPSY

PREPARED BY : CHRISTIAN RAVEINA

INTRODUCTION
• An autopsy is also known as postmortem
examination, necropsy or obduction
• It is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough
examination of a dead body to determine the cause
& manner of death & to evaluate any disease or
injury that may be present
• It is usually performed by a specialized medical
doctor called a pathologist
• The term “autopsy” derived from the Greek
word “to see for oneself”
• “ Necropsy” is form the Greek word “ seeing a
dead body”
• Necropsy is the term for a post-mortem
examination on animal
CLASSIFICATION

• Three main types :

1.Forensic
2.Clinical/academic
3.Coroner’s
1. FORENSIC
• This is done for medical legal purposes
• No family permission is required to complete
this type of autopsy
• This is carried out when the cause of death
may be a criminal matter such as accident or
burns
2. CLINICAL/ ACADEMIC
• This is usually performed in hospitals for
research & study purposes
• For a clinical autopsy to take place, cause of
death must be established & a death
certificate completed
• To complete this type of autopsy, permission
from the deceased’s legal next of kin is
3. CORONER’S
• This type of autopsy involves cases where no
medical cause of death is readily available
• Cause, manner & mechanism of death are in
question
• Eventually, the prospectors will identify
whether the cases deserve comprehensive
forensic autopsy or a routine postmortem
FORENSIC
AUTOPSY
•It is used to determine the cause of death.
Deaths are placed in following manners :
• Natural
• Accident
• Suicide
• Homicide
• Undetermined
THE PROCESS
• The body is received at a medical examiner’s office
or hospital in a body bag or evidence sheet
• A brand new body bag is used for each body to
ensure that only evidence from that body is
contained within the bag
• An Evidence sheets are an alternate way to
transport the body
• An evidence sheet is a sterile sheet in which the
body is covered
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
INVOLVES
•2 parts :
•External examination
•Internal examination
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION
• After the body is received, It is first photographed
• The examiner then notes the kinds of clothes & their
position on the body before they are removed
• Next, any evidence such a s residue, flakes of paint
or other material is collected from the external
surface of the body
• Ultraviolet light may also be used to search body
surfaces for any evidence not easily visible to the
naked eye
• Samples of hair, nails are taken & the body may also be
radio graphically imaged
• Once the external evidence is collected, the body is
removed from the bag, undressed & any wound present
are examined
• The body is cleaned, weighed & measured in
preparation for the internal examination
• The scale used to weigh the body is often designed to
accommodate the cart that body is transported on, its
weight is then deducted from the total weight shown to
• If not already within an autopsy room, the body
is transported to the table of autopsy room
• A general description of the body such as:
race, sex, age, hair color & length, eye color &
other distinguishing features(birthmarks, old
scar tissue, moles etc) is then made
• A hand held voice recorder or a standard
examination form is normally used to record
this information
INTERNAL EXAMINATION
• If not already in place, a plastic or rubber brick called a
“body block” is placed under the back of the body, causing
the arms & neck to fall backward while stretching & pushing
the chest upward to make it easier to cut open
• This gives the prospector/a pathologist or assistance,
maximum exposure to the trunk
• After this, the internal examination begins
• The internal examination consists of inspecting the internal
organs of the body for evidence of trauma or other
indications of cause of death
•A large & deep “Y” shape incision can be
made from behind each ear & running
down the sides of neck, meeting at the
breast bone
•This is the approach most often used in
forensic autopsies so as to allow
maximum exposure of neck structures for
later detailed examination
• A “T” shape incision made from the tips of both
shoulder, in a horizontal line across the region
of the collar bones to meet at sternum in the
middle
• This initial cut is used more often to produce a
more aesthetic finish to the body when it is re-
constituted as stitching marks will not be as
apparent as with a “Y”shape
• A single vertical cut is made from the middle of
RECONSTITUTION OF THE BODY
• After the examination, the body has an open & empty
chest cavity with chest flaps open on both sides, the
top of the skull is missing & the skull flaps are pulled
over the face & neck
• It is unusual to examine the face, arms, hands or legs
internally.
• All the organs & tissue must be returned to the body
unless permission is given by family to retain any
tissue for further investigation
• Normally, the internal body cavity is lined with
cotton wood or an appropriate material, the
organs are then placed into a plastic bag to
prevent leakage & returned to the body cavity
• The chest flaps are then closed & sewn back
together & the skull cap is sewed back in place
• Then the body may be wrapped in a sheet
Thank