postmortem examination
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A medical procedure involving the thorough inspection and dissection of a deceased body: A postmortem examination is conducted to discover the cause of death or to study the pathological effects of a disease. It is a systematic scientific analysis performed by a pathologist.
Usage
- The term is used formally in medical, legal, and forensic contexts.
- It is often required by law in cases of sudden, unexplained, or suspicious death.
- The procedure aims to gather objective medical evidence.
Examples
- Noun:
- The cause of the epidemic was unknown until a postmortem examination revealed the presence of a novel virus.
- A mandatory postmortem examination was ordered by the coroner to determine if foul play was involved.
- The findings from the postmortem examination were crucial for the medical research study.
Advanced Usage
- "To conduct/perform a postmortem examination": The standard phrasing for carrying out the procedure.
- The forensic team will perform a postmortem examination at the scene.
- "Subject to a postmortem examination": Describes a body undergoing the procedure.
- All bodies from the accident were subjected to a postmortem examination.
Variants and Related Words
- Autopsy (n): The most common synonym for postmortem examination.
- Necropsy (n): A term often used specifically for the postmortem examination of animals.
- Post-mortem (n): A common shortened form. It can also be used metaphorically outside of medicine (e.g., a project post-mortem).
- Postmortem (adj): Pertaining to or occurring after death (e.g., postmortem changes).
Synonyms
- Autopsy
- Post-mortem
- Necropsy (for animals)
Related Phrases
- Forensic autopsy: A postmortem examination performed for legal or public health reasons.
- Medical autopsy: A postmortem examination performed to advance medical knowledge, often with family consent.
Noun
- an examination and dissection of a dead body to determine cause of death or the changes produced by disease