Postmortem

Postmortem (also known as an autopsy) is a detailed examination of a body after death to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. It is usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist.

Overview

In general, a postmortem is performed for either legal or medical purposes. For legal purposes, a postmortem may be required to determine whether a person died of natural causes or was the victim of a crime. For medical purposes, a postmortem can help to understand how or why a patient died, either for the benefit of the family or to further medical research or education.

Procedure

A postmortem usually involves three stages: external examination, internal examination, and microscopic examination. During the external examination, the pathologist records the body's appearance and any external injuries. The internal examination involves examining the body's organs for any signs of disease or injury. The microscopic examination involves examining tissue samples under a microscope to identify any changes at the cellular level.

Legal and Ethical Issues

There are many legal and ethical issues associated with postmortems. In some jurisdictions, a postmortem may be required by law in certain circumstances, such as if a person died unexpectedly or violently. In other cases, the family of the deceased may need to give consent for a postmortem to be performed. There are also ethical issues to consider, such as the need to respect the body and the beliefs of the deceased and their family.

See Also

• Forensic pathology
• Medical examiner
• Coroner
• Death investigation

References

Postmortem Resources
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