Mohbad: Eight Things To Know About Autopsy

A joint team comprising the Nigeria Police Force and health officials exhumed the body of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, who was popularly known as Mohbad, on Thursday.

The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the exhumation of Mohbad’s corpse, adding that plans are underway to commence an autopsy on the singer’s remains.

The police also arrested the nurse who reportedly injected the deceased singer prior to his demise on Tuesday, September 12.

“Mohbad’s corpse has been exhumed today, and an autopsy will begin as soon as possible,” the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the developments to our correspondent in an exclusive telephone interview on Thursday.

With the development, The PUNCH takes a look at things to know about an autopsy.

An autopsy is a detailed and careful medical examination of a person’s body and its organs after death to help establish the cause of death, according to https://australian.museum.

1. External examination

The first step in any forensic autopsy is the external examination of the body. The forensic pathologist performs a detailed external examination of the body. The results are recorded and all physical characteristics are listed. The body must be measured and weighed.

2. Internal examination

To expose the internal organs, the pathologist must open the body. The first cut known as the ‘Y’ incision, is made. The arms of the Y extend from the front of each shoulder to the bottom end of the breastbone. The tail of the Y extends from the sternum to the pubic bone and typically deviates to avoid the navel.

The incision is very deep, extending to the rib cage on the chest, and completely through the abdominal wall below that. The skin from this cut is peeled back, with the top flap pulled over the face.

3. Viewing the internal organs

Following the Y incision, the ribs are sawn off to expose the internal organs. The sternal plate or anterior chest wall is cut away, to expose the organs underneath. The organs include the lungs, heart, liver, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine.

4. Removing the organs

The most common way to remove the organs is known as the Rokitansky method. This method involves removing the body’s organs all at once. That is, the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen etc are removed in one block and then dissected on the autopsy table. The organs are dissected one by one and during the examination, the forensic pathologist will collect small samples of tissue for further examination under the microscope.

5. Removing the brain

To remove the brain, an incision is made in the back of the scalp from one ear to the other. The scalp is cut and separated from the underlying skull and pulled forward. The top of the skull is removed using a vibrating saw. The entire brain is then gently lifted out of the cranial vault.

The brain is then either cut fresh or placed in a 20 per cent solution of formalin to fix it for future analysis with the consent of the Coroner and the senior next of kin.

6. Examining the organs

All organs, except for the intestines and stomach are weighed. The pathologist drains the intestines in a sink to remove any undigested food and faeces that remain. The stomach is cut open and the contents are examined.

7. Returning organs to the body

Following the examination, organs are returned to the body except for the small fragments of tissue sampled for microscopic examination. The organs are replaced in the body cavities. Sometimes absorbent, filler material is used to replace organs that are not returned.

The Coroner and the senior next of kin will be notified of any organs and/or larger fragments of tissue retained after the examination has been completed. The senior next of kin is asked about preference to return these retained specimens to the body and or respectful disposal thereof after the investigation has been completed.

8. Sewing up the body

After the pathologist has finished the examination and the organs are returned to the body, the post-mortem technician will sew back up the body.

Once the Y incision and the head are sewn up, the autopsy (without brain and tissue analysis) is complete. The stitching of the incision is like that on a baseball.

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Source: The PUNCH