Definition

Post-mortem examination of a body to determine cause of death. Medicine's final exam when the patient can no longer complain about the diagnosis.

Example Usage

An autopsy revealed that the patient's sudden death was caused by a massive pulmonary embolism rather than the suspected myocardial infarction.

Origin

From Greek 'autos' (self) and 'opsis' (sight), literally 'seeing for oneself'

Fun Fact

Autopsy rates have declined to less than 5% in developed countries. We've basically given up on learning from our mistakes.

Source: Forensic Pathology Standards

Related Terms

Beginner

palpation

Examination by touch, using hands to assess texture, size, consistency, and location of body parts. It's the medical art of learning more with your fingers than many can with expensive equipment.

šŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Intermediate

somnolence

A state of strong desire for sleep or drowsiness, the medical upgrade from 'sleepy' to 'pathologically sleepy.' It's what happens when 'tired' needs a doctor's note.

šŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

embolism

A medical emergency where something that shouldn't be traveling through your bloodstreamā€”like a blood clot, air bubble, or fat globuleā€”lodges in an artery and blocks blood flow. It's basically a traffic jam in your circulatory system with potentially catastrophic consequences. Pulmonary embolisms (in the lungs) are particularly nasty and a leading cause of doctors suddenly becoming very interested in your calf pain.

šŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

chromatography

A laboratory technique for separating mixtures that's basically playing favorites with molecules based on how fast they travel. Scientists use it to figure out what's actually in that mystery substanceā€”whether it's detecting doping in athletes or analyzing crime scene evidence. Think of it as a molecular obstacle course where different compounds finish at different times.

šŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

nephrology

The medical specialty dedicated to kidneys and their impressive ability to filter 200 quarts of blood daily while maintaining your body's chemical balance. Nephrologists are the doctors you meet when your kidneys are underperforming, often dealing with dialysis, transplants, and telling patients to actually take their blood pressure medication. It's a field where everyone becomes intimately familiar with urine samples and creatinine levels.

šŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Intermediate

sepsis

A life-threatening condition where your immune system freaks out over an infection and starts attacking your own organsā€”friendly fire on a molecular level. The medical emergency that turns a simple infection into multi-organ failure.

šŸ„ Healthcare / Medical

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