Checklist for Medicolegal Autopsy

Use of this checklist is not mandated by current Indian law. The purpose of the checklist is to do a medicolegal autopsy that is satisfactory and complete.

The checklist is intended to be completed after the examination to confirm that any important aspect of examination is not left out.

Autopsy surgeon should also consider the educational value of autopsies. This means that he/ she shall:

• Not regard each case as routine.
• Prepare to vary the dissection according to the needs [history, clinical or an initial finding after inspecting the body or after making incision may indicate that a particular examination should be performed; to be considered and acted accordingly].
• Preserve specimens of interest or of uncommon conditions with appropriate preservative for
  subsequent use at conferences or as mounted specimens for classroom use [within ambit of prevalent laws].

Encourage visits of students, residents or other physicians, who may be interested, to the autopsy room to ask and discuss the findings.