[HIV infection in legal autopsies]

Since May 1987 all postmortem cases at the Munich Institute of Forensic Medicine were screened for HIV-antibodies. If possible, testing was carried out before the postmortem examination in order to allow specific protective measures. 19 of 2631 consecutively tested corpses (= 0.7%) were HIV-infected. Since 1986, the onset of occasional testing, we found 29 HIV-infections. 24 of these were men, 5 were women. At least 15 were i.v.-drug abusers und 8 were homosexuals. In post mortem testing of body fluids false-positive results can be recognized easily even by ELISA-testing alone. Additional testing of several body fluids other than blood and especially of brain tissue proved to be valuable and yielded reliable results. Body fluids and tissues of HIV-infected corpses are potentially infectious as long as one week after death.