we had one case of mauling and i assisted my first autopsy.
the morgue is in the basement of the hospital. they have the big "fridge" like those seen in movies. the autopsy room is amphitheater like. the autopsy table is similar to that in the wet markets where meat are dispayed. the cadaver is placed on one side and the organs are placed on the other side of the table, where there's a large "chopping board" and weighing scale.
first thing we did was to get the brain out. it has to be soaked for at least 1-2hours before it can be cut in slices, otherwise, it will be so soft and fragile like TAHO. next is the Y incision, and cutting of the rib cage. then the organs were dissected out as a whole, transferred to the other side of the table to be documented. photographed, measured, and weighed.
i was asked to cut the liver into slices and to dissect the gallbladder out of its bed on the liver without injuring it.. otherwise the bile will stain the other organs.. i also volunteered closing the incisions.
in our patient, the skull had a fracture on the left posterior side (temporo-pariateal area) but the blood clots were on the other side of the brain--right anterior side (fronto-pariatal area). this is what, in forensics, termed as "contre coup", meaning the brain injury is on the other side of the area that was impacted. sort of like when you push a person towards a wall, the injury will be on the side where the person hit the wall not on the side where you pushed him.
the immediate cause of death was uncal herniation...
doing the autopsy was weird. it's like anatomy class but this time the body is fresh. i didn't like seeing the corpse's face, 'cause it makes it more.... real. and it makes me sad and scared.
Why It Is Done
An autopsy is done to:
- Determine as precisely as possible what caused the death. This can sometimes provide family members with information about diseases or conditions that they also may be at risk for developing.
- Confirm or exclude a disease diagnosis made before death (such as Alzheimer's disease). An autopsy also may be done to help understand how a given disease progresses or to determine the effectiveness of the treatment for that disease.
- Document the presence of a disease that was undiagnosed before death.
- Collect samples of body fluids or tissues for possible genetic testing. This is generally done only after discussion with the deceased person's family.
- Collect evidence and information in criminal cases.
- Help health departments or other government agencies identify and track a disease or potential public health hazard (such as a suspected contagious disease or contaminated drinking water).
http://www.health.com/health/library/topic/0,,hw2451_hw2457,00.html
Interactive autopsy
