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Methods of Autopsy

1. External Examination
1. Clothing
1. Type of garment
2. Color
3. Tears
4. Loss of buttons
5. Cuts, holes and blackening from firearm
6. Poison, vomit, bloodstains
2. Skin
1. Rash
2. Color
3. Turgor
3. Face
1. Cyanosis
2. Haemorrhages
3. Pallor
4. Natural Orifices should be examined for
1. Injuries
2. foreign bodes
3. blood
5. External wound examination
1. Nature
2. Location
3. Length
4. width
5. Depth
6. Direction
7. Edges
8. Base
9. Extremities
2. Internal Examination (“Method of Evisceration of Organ complex by Shor”)
1. Examination of Thoracic and Abdominal Cavities
2. Examination of Thoracic Organs
3. Examination of Abdominal Organs
4. Examination of Pelvic Organs
5. Examination of Skull and Brain

Primary Incisions

1. ‘I’ shaped incision
1. Make a section on a front medium line from a chin upto Pubis Symphysis, bypassing the umbilicus at the left
2. ‘Y’ shaped incisions
1. 2 incisions are made - beginning on either side of the neck from 2–3 cm behind the ear lobes to meet at manubrium Sterni.
2. It is continued as a single linear incision down to public symphysis
3. Modified ‘Y’ shaped incisions
1. 2 incisions are made - beginning on either side of the chest from anterior axillary fold, curving under the nipples or breasts to meet at Xiphoid-sternum
2. It is continued as a single linear incision down to pubis symphysis.

Opening of Abdominal Cavity

1. Find out if any blood, pus or fluid in the cavity
2. Note any abnormalities & position of abdominal organs, old penetrations, pathological process, injuries
3. After opening of abdominal cavity, separate the skin with muscles from ribs of a front surface of chest.
4. Also separate the skin of neck from muscles in sides of upwards upto lower edge of lower jaw

Opening of Thoracic Cavity

1. The muscles of chest are dissected away
2. The chest is opened by cutting the costal cartilages with cartilage knife
3. Then the Sterno-clavicular joint on each side is dis-articulated.

Cases of Pneumothorax

1. A pocket is dissected on the affected side between the chest wall and skin
2. It is filled with water and the wall is punctured with knife under the water
3. If air under pressure is present, it will bubble out of opening through water.

Air Embolism

1. The peri-cardiac sac is filled with water
2. If the right ventricle contains air, the heart will float in water
3. Heart is punctured with small amputating knife. Bubbles of air will escape if air is present.

Pulmonary Thrombi

1. Pulmonary artery should be palpated for any evidence of thrombi
2. If present, thrombi can be pulled out by making longitudinal incision in pulmonary artery & probing the artery with pair of forceps
3. Ante-Mortem Thrombus
1. Firm & Dry
2. Strongly adherent to lining endothelium
3. Transveresly ridged surface
4. Post-Mortem Thrombus
1. Wet
2. Weakly Adherent to lining endothelium