In development
Lab – External exam
Lab-1 Body Identification
Lab-2 External exam – body habitus
Lab-3 External exam – livor mortis
Lab-4 External exam – rigor mortis
Lab-5 External exam – early decomposition
Lab-1
Body Identification
Background: The cases on autopsy.online are de-identified. Some of the cases have toe tags, wrist-bands or other identifiers. We have covered them or blurred them out. In this lab, get used to looking for them on the body.
a. Basic:
Review these cases and decide what kind of patient identifier was likely in use (toe tag, wristband, other).
It will be covered or blurred, but you should be able make a determination.
Do not include blurred labels added by the pathologist for photography.
Review these cases and decide what kind of patient identifier was likely in use (toe tag, wristband, other).
It will be covered or blurred, but you should be able make a determination.
Do not include blurred labels added by the pathologist for photography.
b. Intermediate:
What steps will you take if the body has no identifier?
What steps will you take if the body has no identifier?
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Lab-2
External exam – body habitus
a. Basic:
View these external exams.
Make an assessment of the general body habitus.
Decide which if you think the patient has a “normal” body habitus or is cachectic, mildly obese, moderately obese, or morbidly obese.
View these external exams.
Make an assessment of the general body habitus.
Decide which if you think the patient has a “normal” body habitus or is cachectic, mildly obese, moderately obese, or morbidly obese.
b. Intermediate:
View these external exams.
Make an assessment of the general body habitus.
These cases are more challenging.
Reviewing the history may help.
View these external exams.
Make an assessment of the general body habitus.
These cases are more challenging.
Reviewing the history may help.
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Lab-3
External exam – livor mortis
a. Basic:
Identifying livor mortis.
Review the following cases.
Decide for each case if livor mortis is present or absent, or if there is not enough information in the video to tell.
If livor mortis is present, decide if there is also pressure blanching.
Identifying livor mortis.
Review the following cases.
Decide for each case if livor mortis is present or absent, or if there is not enough information in the video to tell.
If livor mortis is present, decide if there is also pressure blanching.
b. Intermediate:
Interpreting body position from livor mortis.
Familiarize yourself with the time it takes for livor mortis to fix.
Presume each patient was found after the livor mortis fixed.
Review these external exams.
Keep the sound off.
Do not read the history.
Based on your observations, decide which patient was found face up, face down or on the side (or if you think the evidence supports some other position at the time of death).
Interpreting body position from livor mortis.
Familiarize yourself with the time it takes for livor mortis to fix.
Presume each patient was found after the livor mortis fixed.
Review these external exams.
Keep the sound off.
Do not read the history.
Based on your observations, decide which patient was found face up, face down or on the side (or if you think the evidence supports some other position at the time of death).
c. Advanced:
This patient was reportedly found deceased facedown.
What livor mortis pattern would you expect?
What observations do you make in this patient?
How do you interpret your findings?
This patient was reportedly found deceased facedown.
What livor mortis pattern would you expect?
What observations do you make in this patient?
How do you interpret your findings?
d. Advanced:
What livor mortis pattern would you expect in a drowning patient?
What livor mortis pattern would you expect in a drowning patient?
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Lab-4
External exam – rigor mortis
a. Basic:
Identifying rigor mortis.
Review the external exam.
Keep the sound off.
What time in the video demonstrates rigor mortis?
Identifying rigor mortis.
Review the external exam.
Keep the sound off.
What time in the video demonstrates rigor mortis?
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Lab-5
External exam – decomposition
Familiarize yourself with these early postmortem changes and any others covered in your course.
-Desiccation
-Skin slip
-Marbling
-Gas formation
-Right lower quadrant greenish discoloration
-Bleb formation
-Swelling
-Conjunctival congestion
a. Basic:
Make a chart like this (below).
Review the cases listed in the top line.
Fill in your chart.
Desiccation
Skin slip
Marbling
Gas formation
Right lower quadrant greenish discoloration
Bleb formation
Swelling
Conjunctival congestion
Other
Make a chart like this (below).
Review the cases listed in the top line.
Fill in your chart.
Desiccation
Skin slip
Marbling
Gas formation
Right lower quadrant greenish discoloration
Bleb formation
Swelling
Conjunctival congestion
Other
b. Intermediate:
Add two more cases of your own choosing from the database.
Write the case numbers in the two blanks at the end of the top row of the chart.
Assess for decomposition as above.
Add two more cases of your own choosing from the database.
Write the case numbers in the two blanks at the end of the top row of the chart.
Assess for decomposition as above.
c. Advanced:
You now have assessed 10 cases.
Put these cases in order from least to most decomposed.
Be able to explain your thinking.
You now have assessed 10 cases.
Put these cases in order from least to most decomposed.
Be able to explain your thinking.
d. Advanced:
Can you put these cases in order from shortest to longest post-mortem interval (before autopsy)?
Is it possible to do this based on the physical exam?
What additional information might you need to know to answer this question?
Be able to explain your thinking.
Can you put these cases in order from shortest to longest post-mortem interval (before autopsy)?
Is it possible to do this based on the physical exam?
What additional information might you need to know to answer this question?
Be able to explain your thinking.