How post-mortem is done.

Post-mortem, also called autopsy, has become a common procedure in criminal and medical investigations in Kenya.
Mysteries behind recent murders, suicides and homicides have been unravelled by the medical procedure which is normally carried out by specialised doctors.
One such mystery is the death of Kipyegon Kenei, an Administration Police officer attached to Deputy President William Ruto’s office, who was found dead in his house in Imara Daima, Nairobi.
Preliminary results revealed that he was killed by a bullet that was fired from a pistol held to his chin.
Here is what you need to know about autopsies.
What is an autopsy?
It 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 to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present for research or educational purposes.
Why are autopsies performed?
According to MedicineNet, autopsies are performed by pathologists -- medical doctors who have received specialty training in the diagnosis of diseases by the examination of body fluids and tissues.
Forensic autopsies have legal implications and are performed to determine if a death was as a result of an accident, homicide, suicide or a natural event.
In academic institutions, autopsies sometimes are also sometimes requested for teaching and research purposes.
And so how is it done?
External examination
An autopsy begins with a careful inspection of the body to check for visible signs of injury or external force on the skin tissue.
Pathologists also weigh and measure the body, noting the subject's physical characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour and length, ethnicity, gender and age.
They examine identifying marks such as scars, tattoos or injuries.
The clothes worn by the dead person are thoroughly checked for fibres, hair, body fluids — blood stains, tears — and rips that might correspond to knife or gun attacks.
Injuries
According to Explore Forensics, injuries such as cuts and bruises are marked out and, in cases of stabbings or shootings, the entrance wounds are measured in order to gauge closeness of the victim to the perpetrator.
Pathologists also seek to establish what kind of knife or gun was used in an attack.
Fingernails are also clipped or scraped clean so that any material underneath may be examined for traces of skin or blood, possibly that of an attacker.
X-rays are sometimes used to reveal bone abnormalities and the locations of bullets or other objects while ultraviolet light can help detect certain residues.
Internal examination
During internal examination of a body, pathologists make a large, deep, Y-shaped incision from shoulder to shoulder meeting at the breast bone and extending all the way down to the pubic bone.
The front of the rib cage is removed to expose the neck and chest organs.
This opening allows the pathologist to remove, dissect and weigh the chest, abdominal and pelvic organs.
If an organ weighs too little or too much it can indicate a certain disease process.
The organs are first examined by the pathologist to note any visible changes due to diseases like atherosclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver, and coronary artery disease in the heart.
Internal organs
The internal organs — liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, lungs and kidneys — are weighed individually and dissected to reveal any abnormalities such as tumours.
Small tissue samples are taken from all organs to be made into slide preparations for microscopic examination.
According to Live Science, pathologists take body fluids like urine, blood, vitreous gel from the eyes, or bile for toxicology testing as some poisons may not show in one part of the body but will show in others.
Explore Forensics explains that examining the contents of the stomach can determine when the victim last had a meal and also what that meal consisted of.
Meals that are partially digested, completely digested or not digested at all can all lead to timeframes being adopted for the time of death.
During brain autopsy, a pathologist cuts across the crown of the head, from the bony bump behind one ear to the bump behind the other. He or she will then open the cranium using a special saw that cuts bone but leaves soft tissue unharmed.
Reconstructing the body
Following the examination, the organs are returned to the body (minus the pieces preserved for future work or evidence) while the breastbone and ribs are also put back and the body is sewn shut.
After all studies are completed, a detailed report that describes the autopsy procedure and microscopic findings is prepared.
The report gives a list of medical diagnoses and a summary of the cause of death.
Some autopsies return inconclusive results while others fail to reveal the cause of death.




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