Standard Mortuary:

• Standard autopsy suite should consist:

1. Autopsy room with plenty of space and all required
facilities like proper lighting, ventilation, sterilization,
arrangements for dissection, X-ray facilities, cameras,
video recorders and viewing gallery for students.
2. Storage area for corpse with refrigeration unit.
3. Storage area for chemicals & instruments.
4. Office for the staff.
5. Medical record room.
6. Waiting area for public.
7. Public toilets.
 Classic Autopsy Tech:
Postmortem:-
Post meaning after and mortem means
death, thus postmortem means examination after
death.
Autopsy: Auto means self and opis means view.
Necropsy: Necros means death and opis means view.

Thus postmortem examination or Autopsy is

a scientific and systemic study of dead body.
 Anatomical Autopsy
Classification Clinical / medical or pathological autopsy
Medico-legal autopsy

Medicolegal autopsy:-
A medico-legal autopsy is a special
type of autopsy ordered / requested by the legal
authorities (requisition from police). It is performed
in all unnatural deaths i.e homicides, suicides,
accidents, sudden unexpected deaths and deaths
surrounded by suspicious circumstances.
• Objectives:-
Identity
To establish Cause of death with mode &
manner
Time between injury & death
and time since death (P.M.Interval)

• Legal Formalities:-
i. Authorization order (police request)
ii. Identification of the deceased (two identifying person).
ii. Case history (Facts about the case) Police inquest + Hospital record
iv. Well equipped mortuary with full facilities
Minimum qualifications (MBBS with PMDC
registration)
V. Qualifications
Specialist qualifications (DMJ, MD path MS
Anatomy / surgery)
• Guidelines in Legal autopsies:-
1. Avoid unnecessary delay.
2. Do not allow unauthorized persons into the mortuary. The
investigating officer may be allowed if he desires so.
3. Autopsy is preferably done in the daylight, however it can also
be conducted even at night with proper artificial lights
(incandescent lights).
4. Prepare P.M notes during autopsy.
5. Prepare the P.M report immediately (within 24 hours after PM
examination)
6. Hand over the report and parcels of samples to an authorized
police officer after taking his receipt on the office copy or on
dispatch register maintained for this purpose.
• Autopsy Procedure:-
1. External examination
• Clothes
• Any trace evidence
• Identity
• Body orifices
• Finger / nails
• Injuries / surgical intervention
• Postmortem changes
2. Internal examination:-
Dissection of three major body cavities and
examination of their contents.
Dissection of cranial cavity:-
 Scalp incision
 Removal of the skull cap
 Opening the duramatter
 Removing the brain
 Dissection of brain
Dissection of Thoracic and Abdominal Cavities:
1. Incisions:- I shaped, Y shaped, Modified Y shaped
One by one
2. Removal of organs
One organ block (enmass)

3. Inspection / Dissection of viscerae.

4. Closing the body
5. Handing over the body
6. Preservation and dispatch of viscerae to F S L.
 EXAMINATION OF MUTILATED BODIES OR FRAGMENTS:
In such cases, the medical examiner should first ascertain if the parts
sent are human or not.
1. All separate parts should be kept together, and determined whether
they belong to one and the same body.
2. The sex can be determined from the general conformation and shape
of pelvis, sacrum or femur, It may also be determined from the
recognition of prostate, ovaries.
3. The probable age may be ascertained from the skull, teeth, size and
degree of development of fragments and ossification of the bones.
4. Identification can be determined from tattoo marks, fingerprints, scars,
color of hair, deformities, recent and old fractures, or from the
discovery or certain articles or clothing.
5. The probable time since death may be ascertained from the condition
of the parts.
6. The cause of death can be ascertained, if there is evidence of a fatal
injury.
7. Identity can be established by superimposing a life size photograph of
the head of a person of the skull, and thus reconstructing the features.
 Negative / Obscure Autopsy
Special procedures of Autopsy:-
 Demonstration of Airembolism
 Demonstration of Pneumothorax
 Demonstration of thrombi
 Autopsy photographs
 Secpmd Aitp[su / Exhumation Examination, Mutilated
 Autopsy on a body of Hiv / Hepatitis B+C cases.
Special procedures for specific cases:-
 Poisoning
 Mechanical Asphyxia
 Drowning
 Burns
 Road traffic accidents
 Newborn / infant / foetus
 Firearm injuries
POSTMORTEM Examination