Exhumation


Exhumation (Postmortem):

This is digging of grave after court orders to do a postmortem on it.

1.  Police brings the court orders.This can only b done after court orders.

2.  Check if any postmortem or MLC is performed on that body previously. The same doctor who has performed an MLC or postmortem on that body cannot do Exhumation.It must b a different one for exhumation.

3.  Exhumation is done under doctors supervision .while digging the grave the police and doctors must b present. It is the duty of police to identify the right grave.but u have to mention who identified the grave from relatives.

4  . The main issue doctors face are what to send to PFSA. During our training at PFSA they said that once body started to rot then no sample is useful from organs.Tissue cannot b fixed or autolysis made it impossible to do any DNA from soft tissue.IF a body is fresh then perform the postmortem as normal one but if it is started to rot then do not send sample from soft tissue.you can send stomach contents by ligating the stomach from both ends to toxicology .

5.  Now if the body is old and most of flesh is rotted away or only bones are there ,then nothing substantial can be obtained. U can send small bones ,nails, teeth and hairs for heavy mertal poisoning to toxicology and DNA testing to DNA department. Now remember sending grave soil is useless. PSFA repeatedly said that it is no point in sending the soil.

6.  Take pictures and order xray of bones. If radiology tells you that xray cannot b performed bcaz they do not hav the equipment then ask them to give this reply to u in written.Its their headache to perform xray.Xray is important because it can tell u information about a fracture .

7.  Send samples to PFSA and do not give opinion without results from labs.

That will be all.


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