1Associate Professor, Anatomy, T.N.M.C, Mumbai
2Registrar, Pediatrics, T.N.M.C, Mumbai
3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, T.N.M.C, Mumbai
4Prof.& Head, Dept. of Microbiology, T.N.M.C, Mumbai
5Prof.& Head, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, T.N.M.C, Mumbai
6Prof.& Head, Dept. of Anatomy, T.N.M.C, Mumbai
*Corresponding author: Pawan Sabale, Assistant Professor Dept. Of Forensic Medicine, T.N.M.C., Mumbai E-mail address: drsabalepawan@yahoo.co.in, Telephone: +917738646504 Fax numbers: 02223072663
Online published on 19 August, 2014.
Autopsy rooms are known to be high risk areas for infection and pose a potential health hazard for those working there. While conducting autopsies in conditions which may not provide adequate protection to the forensic personnel, it exposes them to high risk blood-borne viral and other bacterial infections. With the increasing seroprevalence of hepatitis virus, the mutilated and traumatized bodies of victims requiring autopsy, pose a considerable risk to the forensic personnel handling these remains. However limited data are available regarding the risk of acquiring such infections.
The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in unreported post-mortem cases in the autopsy room. During the study period of 2 months i.e. July - August 2007, randomly selected 40 cases of post-mortem subjects, brought to the mortuary with no previous medical record of infection by either HBV or HCV, with a time interval between death and conduction of post-mortem being less than 24 hours, were included in the present study. It was found that these infections pose a risk for forensic experts and post-mortem room workers. The authors recommend that all forensic autopsies should be treated as potentially infectious and appropriate precautions should be taken when performing autopsies.
Seroprevalence, HBV, HCV, Forensic Autopsy
