4. Learning from the dead

Question 1

Give the 3 types of autopsies carried out today

Answer 1

1. Medicolegal
   This is performed on behlaf of HM coroner
   No consent is required
   Theres a legal requiremnt to do it
2. Forensic
   This is a type of coroner’s post-mortems
   This is done in the case of suspicious deaths.
   For example an individual that dies whilst under the care of the state (e.g prisoner)
3. Consent (hospital)
   This form of autopsy requires consent from the next of kin, which can prevent examination

Question 2

Give the factors that can influence a coroner autopsy

Answer 2

• Legal requirement
• Deceased unknown
• Deceased not seen by a doctor within 14 days of
death
• Attending doctor not able to give cause of death
• Obviously unnatural death (murder, accident,
suicide)
• Death related to occupational disease or accident
• Death related to medical treatment or procedure

Question 3

What’s involved in an autopsy?

Answer 3

• History
- Often limited in Coroner’s cases

• External examination
ThIs is done in the case of:
- Natural disease
- Injury
- Medical intervention

• Internal examination

• All systems usually carried out
• Limited sometimes particularly in consent cases

Question 4

List the 5 additional tests carried out in an autopsy and what these can be used for

Answer 4

• Histology

• For making a diagnosis
• For confirming a diagnosis

• Toxicology

• Blood, urine, vitreous, bile etc.
• Therapeutic drugs
• Recreational drugs

• Biochemistry

• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Alcoholic ketoacidosis
• Renal failure

• Microbiology
- Bacteria, viruses, fungi

• Genetics
- DNA fingerprinting developed in Leicester
Can be used in criminal cases

Question 5

What situations would cause a paediatric autopsy to take place?

Answer 5

1. If the death occured in utero
2. If the death was perinatal
3. If the death occured in infancy e.g sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
4. If the death was suspicious
5. It can be used to provide answers for grieebing osrents and medical staff
6. Can help to diagnose any famillial genetic situations
7. Medicolegal issues
8. Safeguarding issues
9. Teaching and research

Question 6

List the 4 most common cause of death

Answer 6

Pathology associated with the:
• Head
• Heart
• Blood vessels
• Lungs

Question 7

Differentiate between extradural and intradural haemorrhage

Answer 7

Epidural hematoma/ extradural haemorrhage is when bleeding occurs between the tough outer membrane covering the brain (dura mater) and the skull.

A subdural hematoma (SDH) is a type of bleeding in which a collection of blood gathers between the inner layer of the dura mater and the arachnoid mater of the meninges surrounding the brain.

Question 8

Describe the follwing conditions:

1. Subarachnoid haemorrhage

Answer 8

1. Subarachnoid haemorrhage
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening type of stroke caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain. It can be caused by a ruptured aneurysm.

Question 9

Describe the follwing conditions:

2. Stroke

Answer 9

2. Stroke
   A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death.
   There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding.

Question 10

Describe the follwing conditions:

3. Coronary thrombosis

Answer 10

3. Coronary thrombosis
   Coronary thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel of the heart.
   This blood clot restricts blood flow within the heart.

Question 11

Describe Valvular disease

Answer 11

Valvular heart disease is any cardiovascular disease process involving one or more of the four valves of the heart (the aortic and mitral valves on the left side of heart and the pulmonic and tricuspid valves on the right side of heart).

Question 12

Describe Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

Answer 12

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA ) is a localized enlargement of the abdominal aorta.
The rupturing of this aneurysm can cause life threatening consequences

Question 13

Describe Deep vein thrombosis

Answer 13

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that develops within a deep vein in the body, usually in the leg.

Question 14

Describe Pulmonary embolism

Answer 14

This is a blood clot blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs.

Question 15

Describe Bronchopneumonia

Answer 15

Bronchopneumonia is a type of pneumonia that causes inflammation in the alveoli.
This can reduce gas exchange in the lungs.

Question 16

Describe Peritonitis

Answer 16

Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs.
If the lining becomes infected, the internal organs it covers can also be damaged.

Question 17

Describe Pneumothorax

Answer 17

A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung.
A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall.
This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse