Forensic Pathologists And Autopsies

Preautopsy conference is an important part of the postmortem autopsy. This conference include: the crime scene investigator, the criminalists who were at the scene and analyze the evidence from the autopsy, the lead investigator, and the autopsy pathologist. The preautopsy conference should be planned early of the autopsy. They have meetings to develop a well planned approach to the autopsy. Each member of the team will know what type of information each one will need in order to facilitate the autopsy.

The word autopsy derives from the Greek word autopsia, which means “the act of seeing for oneself” (Autopsy 1). An autopsy purpose is to “determine the cause of death, observe the effects of disease” (Autopsy 1). Human dissection was frowned upon until after the Middle Ages. The first human dissection was performed in 300 BCE by Herophilus and Erasistratus, two physicians who were studying disease (Autopsy 2). In the late 2nd century CE a Greek physician Galen of Pergamum was the first

This method may have been sufficient in the 10th century when people were illiterate and believed the world was flat; however, the scientific world since then has grown exponentially. Science is a powerful study, aiding us in understanding the complex process life and the absence of life, death. Pathology, the science of disease, has assisted in the arrests of countless criminals, uncovering the truth and more notably providing a sense of closure for the loved ones of the deceased. A coroner system without the foundation of science is a system that keeps murders on the streets, the innocent behinds bars and prosecutors frozen in cases. The most memorable example of inefficiency is Dr. Paul McGarry, who made careless errors in not just one but four autopsies. In the case of new prison inmate Cayne Miceli, McGarry initially determined the cause of death to be a drug overdose. Upon the further examination, a second examiner found a heap of mucus in her lungs indicating she had severe asthma. The doctor then concluded the real cause of death was the jail restraints on her chest blocked her airways during an asthma attack (Thompson, 2011, para 13-16). A peculiar fact about the case was the McGarry concluded the cause of death before he got the test results. Could he had been trying to hide something? After all, he is an elected official which according to the NAS

While there are still people who do not believe in the use of cadavers or have no interest in becoming one (which is completely fine as it is simply a matter of opinion), Mary Roach shines light on all the positive impacts that cadavers can have on human life today. From bettering our safety by being used in studies for impact tests, to furthering scientific, medical and forensics research, cadavers are a necessity to our well-being and

The main theme of “Final Cut” by Atul Gawande is that medicine is an inexact science and doctors are not always sure of themselves, even if they appear confident. Gawande’s main argument is simply stated: there has been a decline in the amount of autopsies performed in the medical field as a result of medical arrogance; over confident doctors believe they know the cause of death and do not want to perform autopsies. Gawande illustrates his argument by outlining the history of autopsy use in medicine, incorporating medical cases that he has experienced as a surgeon, and including statistics on autopsy usage. “Final Cut” is an outstanding profile on the decline of autopsy use in medicine. What makes “Final Cut” an enjoyable and informative article for all readers is its use of strategies associated with fiction such as the establishment of characters, balance between medical information and personal experience, and its use of active voice.

To get an idea about the patient, the forensic pathologist would first get some information about the person’s past, including their medical

The author also frequently questions the legality of the embalming process. This is in reference to the established law practices in regards to the after-death procedures:

In this paper, I will discuss the background of forensic pathology, the pros and cons of forensic pathology, and the similar and different in a forensic pathologist and a coroner. There are various disciplines in Forensic Science that can help with a crime, and solving that crime. One of these various disciplines is Forensic Pathology which the study of disease, and its causes, moreover; it involves the discovering the cause of the death where a death is sudden or suspicion to law enforcement. While a Forensic Pathologist can be helpful to law enforcement, and helpful in assisting in crime investigation, there are cons to being forensic pathologist. Furthermore, forensic pathologist can be confused with coroner even though they do the same

Assisting death in no way precludes giving the best palliative care possible but rather integrates compassionate care and respect for the patient's autonomy and ultimately makes death with dignity a real

This truth forms an essential link between the enforcement of law and protection of the public in the administration of justice.” Forensic pathology is clearly a crucial role in the justice system. You have to be a little weird and crazy to have a passion for the kind of work that the coroners and M.E. go through on an everyday basis. They use past knowledge to make decisions on how death occurred and they come across many different postmortem changes in dead bodies. Every field is important in forensics, but pathology advocates for truth and justice to dead

In The Homicide-Suicide Phenomenon: Findings of Psychological Autopsies, the authors James Knoll M.D. and Susan Hatters-Friedman M.D. delve into psychological autopsies performed in cases of homicide-suicide to highlight the perpetrators, perpetrator-victim relationships, and the underlying motive and dynamics of this phenomenon. Homicide-suicide is a life altering violent outburst that is performed by a perpetrator on a one or several victims before killing themselves within a 24-hour period. Since the victim(s) and the perpetrator expire in these events, a psychological autopsy is performed to open a window into the psyche of the individuals to determine personality, behavior and motives. A psychological review of the perpetrator prior to

An autopsy is an examination of the body after death. It usually consists of an external and an internal examination of the body. The external examination also documents identifying features such as scars, tattoos or other markings which may assist in the identification of the body. The internal examination looks at the internal organs to document any natural disease processes and/or injury .Its purpose is to learn the truth about the persons health during life and how the person really died, These situations include, violent deaths such as homicides, accidents, and suicides. Other categories are suspicious deaths, sudden and expected deaths, deaths in children and infants, prisoners, persons under the care of an institution,

Crime scene investigation and medical examiner television shows are always interesting and exciting to watch, but what happens when you make the contents of that television show your life? Often times, the one you see doing the investigating with not only the body at the scene, but also inspecting the body of the victim in their exam room is called the Forensic Pathologist. A Forensic Pathologist is often called to the scenes where a death has occurred so that they can legally gather information and observations so that they can proceed with the investigation. For example, they will try to find the time of death. It is very important that the forensic pathologist be contacted very early on in the investigation, due to the amount of evidence that needs to be overlooked. Forensic pathologists are educated as physicians, and are also licensed for the practice of medicine. Regional tests are given, which means that if you decide to move at any time after taking the regional test, you will be required to take it again if you move to a new state. Autopsies are a daily occurrence, and the goal of the forensic pathologist is to recreate the series of events that led up to the death of the victim.

Autopsy is a medical examination of a dead body to find out how and why the person died. What disease or injury might be present and if a particular medial or surgical treatment was effective. Autopsy comes from Greek word autopsia meaning “ to see with one’s own eyes”. They are done by a special doctor called Pathologist who has been trained to diagnose disease by examining body fluids and tissue.

One way to determine death is through a toxicology test or “tox screen”. A toxicology test is when the medical examiner tests stomach contents, bone, bone marrow, hair and nails to see if there is a trace of drugs in their system (“Toxicology”, 2013, para. 8-10). Toxicology can be dated back in ancient times, though it is still very modern (ToxEdFoundation, 2016, para. 1). The 16th century physician, Paracelsus, is considered to be the “Father of Toxicology” (ToxEdFoundation, 2016, para. 1).