AUTOPSY

A syndicated work by :

Ramil S. Sasi Juan Gideon M. Rieza Jasmin C. Maramag

Autopsia (ancient Greek)= to see for oneself Autos = Oneself Opsis = Eye

3000 BC ancient Egyptians

one of the first civilizations to practice the removal and examination of the internal organs of humans in the religious practice of mummification.

In 44 BC- JULIUS Caesar was the subject of an official autopsy after his murder (by rival senators), the physicians report noting that the second stab wound received was the fatal one.
Around 150 BC- ancient Roman legal practice had established clear parameters for autopsies

Modern Autopsy - derived from the Anatomists of the Renaissance. Giovanni Morgani (1682- 1771) -father of Anatomical Pathology. 19th century- Rudolf Virchow - established and published specific autopsy protocols.

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp by Rembrant, depicts an autopsy

Purpose?
To determine the cause of death; The state of health of the person before he/ she died; Whether any medical diagnosis and treatment before death was appropriate For the purposes of teaching or medical research

Four main types:

1. Medico- Legal Autopsy or Forensic (or coroners) autopsy Seeks to find the cause and manner of death and to identify the decedent. Generally performed, as prescribed by applicable laws, in cases of violent, suspicious or sudden deaths, deaths without medical assistance or during surgical procedures.

2. Clinical or Pathological Autopsy performed to diagnose a particular disease or for research purposes. Aims to determine, clarify, or confirm medical diagnoses that remained unknown or unclear prior to the patients death. 3. Anatomical or academic autopsies are performed by students of anatomy for study purpose only.

4. Virtual or medical imaging autopsies performed utilizing imaging technology only, primarily magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT)

Medico- Legal or Forensic Autopsy

La_autopsia_-1890 autopsy (1890) by enrique simonet

Medico- Legal or Forensic Autopsy

Used to determine the cause of death. involves the application of the sciences to answer questions of interest to the Legal System. Main Objective: is the investigation of sudden, suspicious, obscure, unnatural, litigious or criminal deaths.

Particular objectives of forensic autopsy:

To identify the body and to assess the size, physique and nourishment. To determine the cause of death. To determine the manner of death (suicide, homicide or accident) and the time of death,

where necessary and possible

To

demonstrate

all

external

and

internal

abnormalities, malformations and diseases. To detect, describe and measure injuries. To obtain samples (blood, urine and tissues) for microbiological, analysis. To retain relevant organs and tissues as evidence. To obtain photographs and video films for evidential histological and toxicological

and teaching use .

Recovering, identifying, preserving evidentiary material

 Provide interpretation and correlation of facts related to death Provide factual, objective medical report

CADAVER DISSECTION TABLE

The following manner of death should be autopsied:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Death by violence Accidental deaths Suicides Sudden death of persons who are in good health Death unattended by physician D.O.A. With no clinical diagnosis Death occuring in an unnatural manner.

Stages of Medico-Legal Investigation

1. Crime Scene Investigation - investigation of place of commission of the crime -place where the essential ingredients of the crime took place. 2. Autopsy -investigation of the body of the victim. -comprehensive study of a dead body, in addition to the external examination

BRAIN AUTOPSY (demonstrating signs of meningitis)

Official Autopsy

Non- Official/ Non- Medico Legal

Medico- legal or mandatory autopsy

Hospital based or elective autopsy

Done on those who died of nonnatural causes No Need of consent of the next of kin Always a TOTAL autopsy

Done to those who died of natural causes Consent from next of kin is needed they will decide whether it will be a Total or Partial autopsy

Only those authorized by law may perform this kind of autopsy

By the Pathologist of the Hospital

Mistakes in Autopsy
1. Error or omission in the collection of evidence for identification 2. Errors or omission in the collection of evidence required for establishing the time of death. 3. Errors or omission in the collection of evidence required for the medico- legal examination 4. Errors or omssion result in the production of undesirable artifacts or in the destruction of valid evidence.

Negative Autopsy . -After the autopsy, cause of death is still unknown Negligent Autopsy -cause of death is still unknown because of so many errors committed during the autopsy.

Persons allowed by law to perform Official Autopsy:

Medico- legal of the PNP Medico legal of gthe NBI Municipal/ Health Officers who are considered ex-officio medical officers Those authorized by an ordinance or through request from the chief of police, mayor, or prosecutor.

References:
Legal Medicine, Antonio Rebosa, Ll.B., M.D. (2011)

Autopsy, Prof. Meng Xiangzhi

Autopsy, Wikipedia