Medindia » Surgical Procedure

Autopsy

Creator: Dr. Nithin Jayan
Keywords: Autopsy, Post-mortem examination

Author - Dr. Nithin Jayan, MBBS, DNB, Dr. Sasi Kumar

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Sunil Shroff, MBBS, MS, FRCS (UK), D. Urol (Lond), Dr. Hena Mariam on Mar 31, 2023

About

Autopsy takes birth from the Greek word autopsia: "see for oneself(1^✔)."

Autopsy (post-mortem examination or obduction or necropsy) is a medical/surgical procedure involving the examination of the body of a dead person to determine the cause and manner of death and to assess any disease or injury that may be present. It comes under the department of Forensic Medicine. Autopsies are performed for medical purposes to determine the cause of death or for legal purposes to determine if foul play was involved in the death. When the cause of death is unknown, or in cases of road traffic accidents, suicide, homicide, burns, and some accidents, a medico-legal autopsy is performed. Autopsy may also be done for research purposes. Evidence suggests that autopsies were performed as early as 3,000 BC by the Egyptians.

Purpose of Autopsy

The primary aim is to determine the cause of death, the condition of health of the person before they died, and whether any medical diagnoses or treatments before death were appropriate.

The autopsy is seen as an essential component of medicine. In addition to determining the final diagnosis, the autopsy also reveals how the related diseases interact with the cause of death(2^✔).

Autopsies may be carried out for teaching or medical research purposes if a deceased person has given permission in advance of their death. An autopsy is warranted in cases of sudden death where a doctor is not able to write a death certificate or when death is believed to result from an unnatural cause. Such an autopsy is legal and performed under the authority of the law, in such cases the consent of the deceased's relatives is not required.

Autopsies reveal medical errors and missed diagnoses, thus helping to improve the quality of care and diagnosis.

Who can do Autopsy?

General Medical Officer -MBBS with a three-month PHC orientation training (minimum of 25 cases autonomously and 50 under supervision with report writing and digital photography).
Senior/Chief Medical Officer/Specialist - MBBS and MD in Forensic Medicine or those with MBBS who have completed a six-month to one-year orientation course (100 independent PM and 200 under supervision) for District centre.
Postmortem examination at Tertiary centres should be performed or supervised by highly experienced professionals(3^✔).

References:

The Medical Autopsy: Past, Present, and Dubious Future - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6188261/)
Clinical or Postmortem? The Importance of the Autopsy; a Retrospective Study - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4305994/)
Uniform guidelines for postmortem work in India - (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260182850_Uniform_guidelines_for_postmortem_work_in_India)
Virtopsy - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3826044/)
Post-Mortem Examination as a Quality Improvement Instrument - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6224542/)
Forensic Autopsy - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539901/)
The Needs & The Importance of Post Mortem Examination - (http://www.myhealth.gov.my/en/needs-importance-post-mortem-examination/)
The medical autopsy as quality assurance tool in clinical medicine: dreams and realities - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4751188/)

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