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New autopsy technique in COVID-19 positive dead bodies: opening the thoracic cavity with an outlook to reduce aerosol spread
  1. Somnath Das1,
  2. Anshuman Roy2,
  3. Rina Das3
  1. 1 Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
  2. 2 Anatomy, Raiganj Government Medical College, Raiganj, West Bengal, India
  3. 3 Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Somnath Das, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, WB 700004, India; somnath1976{at}rediffmail.com

Abstract

Aims After the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have modified some of their health-related regulations. However, this has not been in the case of the postmortem of deceased because it has a legal aspect. Thus, the healthcare providers knowingly or unknowingly faced the threat of COVID-19 exposure from those dead bodies. To introduce an autopsy technique that reduces the droplet spreads, especially in those mortuaries where the biosafety mechanism is not highly equipped.

Methods The validity of the new incision was achieved through the calculation of the Scale Content Validity Index (SCVI) taking inputs from 17 forensic specialists. The subjects for the new technique were selected from the patients who were RTPCR positive for COVID-19 or clinically or radiologically showing features of COVID-19.

Results The dissection procedure was finalised by achieving the SCVI at 0.92. The chest cavity was approached through the abdominal cavity by opening the diaphragm and dissecting out the contents of the chest using a long blade knife.

Conclusions The advantage of this approach is that the autopsy surgeon and pathologists do not have to open the chest cavity by dissecting the Sternum, and hence the chance of droplet infection becomes almost nil. This technique is complete, simple, less time-consuming and conducive for sample collection, and even reduces the possibility of body fluid seepage following a postmortem examination

  • FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
  • COVID-19
  • Autopsy

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Data availability statement

Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study.

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Footnotes

  • Handling editor Runjan Chetty.

  • Twitter @DrSomnathDas2

  • Contributors All the authors have contributed almost equally in the procedure, drafting and finalising the manuscript. SD is responsible for the overall content as guarantor.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.