Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 11, 2025
High-Speed Human Temporal Bone Sectioning for the Assessment of COVID-19-Associated Middle Ear Pathology
Published on: May 18, 2022
Proposal of the Autopsy Guideline for Infectious Diseases: Preparation for the Post-COVID-19 Era (abridged
Moon Young Kim1, Harin Cheong2, Hyung Seok Kim3
1Institute of Forensic and Anthropological Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Forensic pathologists must adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic by updating autopsy guidelines. New protocols ensure biosafety and enhance medicolegal death investigations in infectious disease eras.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Medicine
- Pathology
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented global health crisis impacting all societal aspects.
- Forensic medicine, crucial during societal changes, requires adaptation to novel infectious diseases.
- Autopsies are vital for understanding infectious disease deaths, providing epidemiological insights, and legal evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present new autopsy guidelines for forensic medicine in the post-COVID-19 era.
- To outline necessary preparations and societal support for forensic pathologists.
- To establish a framework for improving forensic science practices, including biosafety and death investigation systems.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of new autopsy guidelines based on existing and potential future infectious diseases.
- Consideration of the evolving role of forensic pathologists.
- Incorporation of biosafety and medicolegal death investigation system improvements.
Main Results:
- Development of updated autopsy guidelines tailored for infectious disease scenarios.
- Identification of key preparations and support structures for forensic pathology services.
- Recommendations for enhancing autopsy biosafety and the medicolegal death investigation system.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a proactive approach to updating forensic medicine practices.
- Enhanced autopsy protocols and biosafety measures are crucial for forensic pathologists.
- Continuous improvement of the medicolegal death investigation system is essential for public health and legal integrity.
Abstract:
With the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic over the past few months, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. Innumerable lives have been lost to this novel infectious disease, the nature of which supersedes conventional medical understanding. The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a global health crisis, several aspects of life in the post-COVID-19 era are also being contemplated. Experts in unison are warning that the upcoming changes in all areas of life could potentially be far more drastic than ever experienced in the entire human civilization. The medical community is no exception, and therefore, personnel involved in forensic medicine also need to be adequately prepared for the future. Forensic medicine is a branch of medicine dedicated to one of the most important stages of the human lifecycle and has always been at the forefront in times of unprecedented social change. The autopsy, one of the most important tools of forensic medicine, is also useful to infectious diseases because it identifies the causal relationship between death and infection, reveals medical and epidemiological knowledge, and provides objective evidence for legal disputes. We present new autopsy guidelines in forensic medicine, formulated based on the various infectious diseases that we presently live with and may encounter in the future. In formulation of these guidelines several considerations have been taken into account, namely, the role forensic pathologists should play in the post-COVID-19 era and the necessary preparations as well as the support needed from society to fulfill that role. The present COVID-19 outbreak should be a starting point for formulating improvements in current practices in forensic science, including autopsy biosafety practices and the medicolegal death investigation system.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
01:17Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
01:29Appendicitis-II: Diagnostic Studies and Management
Diagnosing Appendicitis
It requires a multifaceted approach, starting with a detailed physical examination to pinpoint the location and nature of the pain and identify any associated symptoms. Laboratory tests play a crucial role. A complete Blood Count (CBC) typically reveals leukocytosis (an increased number of...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:28Acute Coronary Syndrome IV: Interprofessional Care