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autopsy

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autopsy

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Also known as post-mortem, necropsy, post-mortem examination

An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death; or the exam may be performed to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present for research or educational purposes. The term necropsy is generally used for non-human animals.

AI overview

An autopsy is a surgical examination of a deceased person's body through dissection to determine why and how they died. It can also be performed to study diseases or injuries for medical research and education purposes.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical intervention.Name
Autopsy
Medical intervention.Image
Rembrandt - The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp.jpg
Medical intervention.Caption
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, (1632) by Rembrandt, depicts an autopsy.
Medical intervention.Specialty
Forensic pathology
Medical intervention.ICD9
89.8
Medical intervention.MeshID
D001344

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

113,778 papers

via PubMed

~27 min read

Encyclopedic overview

23 sections
Contents
  • Purposes of performance
  • Etymology
  • Autopsy
  • Post-mortem
  • Necropsy
  • Purpose
  • Types
  • Forensic autopsy
  • Clinical autopsy
  • Academic autopsy
  • Virtual autopsy
  • Prevalence
  • Process
  • External examination
  • Internal examination
  • Reconstitution of the body
  • In stroke
  • History
  • Other animals (necropsy)
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death; or the exam may be performed to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present for research or educational purposes. The term necropsy is generally used for non-human animals.

Autopsies are usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist. Only a small portion of deaths require an autopsy to be performed, under certain circumstances. In most cases, a medical examiner or coroner can determine the cause of death.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “autopsy” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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