Riaz Qadeer, Anwar-ul Haq.
Post Mortem Artifacts (An autopsy based study).
Ophthalmol Update Jan ;15(2):122-5.

Background: An artifact is a change in the natural state of the dead body which is likely to be misinterpreted at autopsy and these artifacts pose problems in finding out the cause of death, mode of death, manner of death, time since death and whether death occurred at that spot or body thrown at that place after killing. Study design: This descriptive study is based on autopsy record and provides information regarding problems which are likely to create confusion during autopsy of a dead body. Duration of study: From 1st January 2013 to 23rd May 2013. Methodology: This study was conducted in the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology of Khyber Medical College, Peshawar. Data was collected from the record of autopsies performed from January 2013 to May 2013.It include all cases referred from urban as well as from rural area police stations of Peshawar district. Results: Out of total 400 autopsies 19 postmortem (5%) were done on dead bodies which created confusion due to therapeutic, agonal or post mortem artifacts. Conclusion: Post mortem artifacts cause confusion in finding out the cause of death, whether the wound is ante mortem or post mortem or a fracture especially of skull is cause of death or is iatrogenic ie. produced during autopsy by the person doing post mortem while opening the cranial cavity.

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