Necropsy

Question 1

Viewing the dead can be defined as a (ex: alien looking at human)

Answer 1

necropsy

Question 2

Seeing a deceased being with one’s own eyes is defined as an (ex: human looking at human)

Answer 2

autopsy

Question 3

Why are necropsies performed?

Answer 3

determining cause of death, determining the disease processes that lead to death, determining the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis, evaluating the positive effects of therapeutic measures, for herd health

Question 4

T/F: LVMT’s can perform a necropsy

Answer 4

true

Question 5

T/F: you don’t need a signed consent from an owner before preforming the necropsy

Answer 5

False: you should ALWAYS have a signed consent (this procedure can’t be undone!)

Question 6

T/F: you should freeze the patient’s body before necropsy

Answer 6

False: you should place the deceased animal in the refrigerator

Question 7

Lesions are described/recorded by….

Answer 7

location, number, color, size, shape. distribution, consistency, odor

Question 8

PPE used for necropsies

Answer 8

safety glasses, gloves, plastic disposable apron OR a reusable “butcher’s apron”

Question 9

The person performing the necropsy is known as the

Answer 9

prosector

Question 10

T/F: instruments used for necropsies can be autoclaved and later used in surgery

Answer 10

False: instruments for surgery should ONLY be used for surgery, and instruments for necropsies should ONLY be used for necropsies

Question 11

What is used to fix tissues for histopathology?

Answer 11

10% formalin solution

Question 12

The science of the study of disease, especially the causes and development of abnormal conditions

Answer 12

pathology

Question 13

Sequence of events that leads to or underlies a disease

Answer 13

pathogenesis

Question 14

Refers to pathologic changes in tissue that are viable with the unaided eye

Answer 14

gross pathology

Question 15

In its normal space: confined to the site of origin

Answer 15

in situ

Question 16

Alterations or abnormalities in a tissue (pathologic changes): for example, wounds, sores, ulcers, tumors, cataracts, and any other tissue damage

Answer 16

lesions

Question 17

-death of cells which occurs after the death of the entire body
- makes interpretation of lesions challenging

Answer 17

post-mortem autolysis

Question 18

Factors that affect onset of post-mortem change

Answer 18

cause of death, environmental temp, body temp at time of death, microbial flora present in the body

Question 19

Microbial flora breakdown tissues which result in color change, gas production, texture changes, and odor

Answer 19

putrefaction (post-mortem decomposition)

Question 20

Common post-mortem changes

Answer 20

bloody nasal discharge, clear nasal discharge, rectal/vaginal prolapse, lymph nodes in young animals may be enlarged, bloating, ruminal mucosal sloughing, post-mortem cataracts, post-mortem blood clotting, rigor mortis, liver mortis, post-mortem intussusception

Question 21

stiffening of the joints and muscles of a body a few hours after death

Answer 21

rigor mortis

Question 22

dark purple discoloration of the skin due to blood pooling in the dependent parts of the body after death

Answer 22

livor mortis

Question 23

Blue-green discoloration of the tissues ; true post-mortem change

Answer 23

pseudomelanosis

Question 24

Red staining of tissues due to breakdown of vessel walls and lysis of RBC’s due to autolysis

Answer 24

hemoglobin imbibition

Question 25

As autolysis of the tissues continue bile leaks from the gall bladder causing the surrounding tissues to stain yellow/greenish-brown

Answer 25

bile imbibition (pseudoicterus)

Question 26

Clouding of the lens of the eye when the carcass is frozen or chilled after death

Answer 26

post-mortem cataracts

Question 27

Clotted blood pooling after death in which the heavier RBC's settle to the bottom and the yellow serum settle on the top

Answer 27

chicken fat clot

Question 28

Causes of death without apparent post-mortem signs

Answer 28

allergic reactions, anesthetic deaths, IV therapy, shock/heart attack, fetal death, electrocution

Question 29

Poisonings without apparent post-mortem signs

Answer 29

botulism, cyanide, carbon monoxide, tetanus, propylene glycol, organophosphate

Question 30

Describing a lesion: organ/structure, proximal/distal, right/left, superficial/deep

Answer 30

location

Question 31

Describing a lesion: metric measurements

Answer 31

size/volume

Question 32

Describing a lesion: round, oval, linear, irregular, elliptical, rhomboid

Answer 32

shape

Question 33

Describing a lesion: granular, smooth, rough

Answer 33

texture

Question 34

Describing a lesion: watery, firm, hard, flatulent

Answer 34

consistency

Question 35

Describing a lesion: solid, cystic

Answer 35

appearance on cut surfaces

Question 36

Describing a lesion: fetid, sweet, rotten, acrid

Answer 36

odor

Question 37

Distribution patterns

Answer 37

focal, focally extensive, multifocal, multifocal coalescing, disseminated, diffuse, segmental

Question 38

Distribution pattern: Focally Extensive

Answer 38

the single lesion takes up 10% of the tissue

Question 39

Distribution pattern: Multifocal

Answer 39

multiple lesions. measure the largest and smallest lesions, this allows for range

Question 40

Distribution pattern: Multifocal Coalescing

Answer 40

multiple spots and lesions and some start to overlap

Question 41

Distribution patterns: Disseminated

Answer 41

not all tissue is abnormal, but there is abnormal tissue everywhere

Question 42

Distribution patterns: Segmental

Answer 42

only used when describing tubular lesions (shaped like a tube) "a chunk of the trachea is abnormal"

Question 43

A bright red, sharp margin between effected tissue and healthy tissue

Answer 43

hemorrhage

Question 44

T/F: hemorrhage and hemolysis are the same because they are both a loss of blood

Answer 44

False: hemolysis is destruction of RBC's & hemorrhage is whole blood being lost from the vessels

Question 45

Small, pinpoint hemorrhage

Answer 45

petechiae

Question 46

When there is hemorrhage present withing the eye

Answer 46

Hyphema

Question 47

passage of fresh, bright red blood from the rectum

Answer 47

Hematochezia

Question 48

black, tarry stools; feces containing digested blood

Answer 48

Melena

Question 49

Types of fluid: Serous Inflammation

Answer 49

a clear to yellow tinged fluid, very watery, mainly composed of plasma or serum (think fluid on a burn blister)

Question 50

Types of fluid: Purulent Discharge

Answer 50

primarily composed of puss, usually white to cream colored

Question 51

Hemorrhagic (hemopericardium)

Answer 51

blood in the pericardial sac

Question 52

Serosanguinous fluid

Answer 52

Blood + serum Yellow in color w/ some appearance of blood

Question 53

Ulceration

Answer 53

epidermis and some of the underlying dermis has been lost

Question 54

What is the first organ that should be dissected during a necropsy?

Answer 54

the eyes, the retina will decompose rapidly after death

Question 55

T/F: small animal & pig necropsies should be done in right lateral

Answer 55

False: small animal necropsies should be done in left lateral

Question 56

T/F: ruminants should be laid down on their left side for a necropsy

Answer 56

true

Question 57

What is the preferred method for a horse necropsy?

Answer 57

the horse should be in left lateral recumbency

Question 58

T/F: a fetal necropsy should be done in left lateral recumbency

Answer 58

False: a fetal necropsy is done in right lateral

Question 59

What position are avian necropsies performed in?

Answer 59

avians are done in dorsal recumbency, unless it is a small bird then the whole bird may be submitted