Precautions in postmortem examinations in Covid-19 - Related deaths: Recommendations from Germany.

The Covid-19 pandemic is also a considerable risk for forensic workers, among other healthcare providers. The risk of contamination is serious in post-mortem procedures. SARS-CoV2 is a microorganism classified as Hazard Group 3. However, the lack of adequate scientific work on Covid-19 should prompt us to be even more cautious when handling potentially infected persons or materials. Before starting the post-mortem investigation a risk assessment should be carried out and the suitability of facilities, personnel and equipment should be evaluated. An autopsy room conforming to BSL 3 standards would be ideal but is not mandatory. For suspicious or approved cases however a number of procedural changes must be made concerning the body's removal, storage and inspection procedures. Facilities, equipment and training issues need to be revised against existing and potential risks of infection. In addition to proper ventilation and insulation, personal protective equipment, aerosol reduction measures and disinfection applications are required. As of yet it is still unclear how long this public health issue, which has grown to become a pandemic, will last. This article highlights preventive measures to be taken into consideration in post-mortem processes when a Covid-19 infection is suspected or confirmed. It should be noted that there is no standard guide yet in this regard. A guide should be created according to international standards and revised according to changing conditions.

Religion, Culture, and Autopsy: A Survey With Muslim Religious Officials.

The autopsy maintains its significance both forensically and medically despite enormous developments in antemortem and postmortem diagnostic methods. The present study probes the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of religious officials in our city toward autopsy and make an evaluation of how religion and culture affect those factors.The study consists of 219 Imams (male) and 69 Quran instructors (female) who serve in urban and rural regions of Kahramanmaras and approved informed consent forms.Two hundred thirty (79%) of the participants stated that the autopsy was an appropriate process according to Islam; 1 (0.3%) stated that it was inappropriate, whereas 57 (19.8%) were observed to have no idea regarding its appropriateness.The mean knowledge score that participants had about autopsy was determined to be 7.45 ± 1.73 (min = 1, max = 10).On the other hand, 240 participants (83.3%) stated that it was important for the religious officials to inform the society about the autopsy.The negative attitude toward autopsy stems from the lack of knowledge and traditions. The religious officials could help the doctors to change the negative attitude stemming from tradition toward the autopsy.

Death by Wheat-Loaded Cartridge: A Case Report.

The materials used to produce shotgun ammunition can have different properties depending on the purpose, and ammunition can be fabricated or loaded manually. In Turkey, wheat-loaded cartridges are manufactured for use as sound cartridges. This ammunition is understood by the public to be harmless. However, we present a case of a 13-year-old adolescent boy who was wounded from a contact shot to the chest. An entrance wound measuring 7 cm and 5 cm in diameter was seen on the skin. Wheat grains could not be detected in the internal organs and were only observed between the chest muscles around the entrance wound. A plastic wad was also found in this area. The cause of death was internal bleeding due to internal organ injury. Wheat-loaded cartridges are not visible on x-ray and are difficult to detect visually in the wound.

Effectiveness of Mortuaries in Turkey: A Questionnaire Study.

AIM: The autopsy is an important step in solutions of forensic cases. The design and effectiveness of mortuaries are of great importance in terms of proper conduction of death examinations and autopsies. In addition, the safety of evidence, protection of public and staff health, and the quality of service offered to relatives of dead people are closely related to the effectiveness of mortuaries. The aim of this study was to determine whether mortuaries in Turkey meet international criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen mortuaries were included in the study. The forensic medicine experts working in these mortuaries were given a questionnaire composed of questions about standards developed by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) through the website my.questbase.com. RESULTS: Most of the mortuaries outside big cities (80%) did not have their own facilities. All of them could not control the chain of evidence and did not have a separate well-ventilated autopsy room where they could keep putrefied corpses. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the mortuaries did not meet most of the NAME criteria. The mortuaries, especially those in places other than big cities, had some deficiencies and mishandlings. Autopsy facilities and accessory laboratories should be enabled to meet NAME accreditation standards.