INTODUCTION What is a forensic pathologist? What is a pathologist? A pathologist is a physician trained in the medical specialty of pathology. Pathology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis of disease and causes of death by means of laboratory examination of body fluids (clinical pathology) cell samples, (cytology) and tissues (anatomic pathology). The autopsy is the procedure utilized to study the dead. It is primarily a systematic external and internal examination for the purposes of diagnosing disease and determining the presence or absence of injury. The forensic pathologist is a subspecialist in pathology whose area of special competence is the examination of persons who die suddenly, unexpectedly or violently. The …show more content…
The next-of-kin do not authorize and may not limit the extent of the autopsy. Common questions include the identity of the deceased person, the time of injury and death and the presence of medical evidence (for example bullets, hair, fibre’s, semen). Observations made at autopsy elucidate how and by what weapon lethal injury was inflicted. During the course of the forensic autopsy, blood and other body fluids are routinely obtained in order to check for alcohol and other drugs. The forensic autopsy should be complete (including the head, chest, abdomen and other parts of the body as indicated). HOW AN AUTOPSY IS PERFOMED The extent of an autopsy can vary from the examination of a single organ such as the heart or brain, to a very extensive examination. Examination of the chest, abdomen, and brain is probably considered by most pathologists as the standard scope of the autopsy. The autopsy begins with a complete external examination. The weight and height of the body are recorded, and identifying marks such as wounds and tattoos also are