What is a virtual autopsy conducted on comedian Raju Srivastava?

After battling for life for more than 40 days, comedian Raju Srivastava breathed his last at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. Reports in the media suggest that the 58-year-old died because of a second cardiac arrest – he was admitted to the hospital on 10 August after he experienced chest pain and collapsed while working out.While no foul play was suspected, a post-mortem was conducted after which his body was handed over to the family. Dr Sudhir Gupta, head of the department of forensic medicine at AIIMS, said that Srivastava’s post-mortem was performed using a novel technology known as “virtual autopsy”. The entire procedure took around “15 to 20 minutes”.What is a virtual autopsy? A post-mortem or autopsy is a highly specialised surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present, according to a 2013 paper titled “Virtopsy (virtual autopsy): A new phase in forensic investigation”.Virtual autopsy or virtopsy employs imaging methods that are also used in clinical medicine such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), etc for autopsy and to find the cause of the death. It does not necessitate dissection of the body.How is a virtual autopsy conducted?A CT or MRI is used to scan the body the same way it is done when a person is alive. Under this process, the body is packed in a bag and put in the CT machine. Images of the internal organs are captured within minutes which can then be analysed by forensic experts.Doctors can also use radiation to examine the inside of the body and reach a conclusion about the cause of death.“Virtopsy can be employed as an alternative to standard autopsies for broad and systemic examination of the whole body as it is less time consuming, aids better diagnosis, and renders respect to religious sentiments,” the paper suggested.[caption id="attachment_11307561" align="alignnone" width="640"]

Virtual autopsies are done with images obtained through CT, MRI and Sonography to diagnose people, which can benefit both the forensic police and the medical establishment. AFP PHOTO / GERARD JULIEN (Photo by GERARD JULIEN / AFP)[/caption]What are the benefits of a virtual autopsy?A regular post-mortem can take up to three hours. It can also go up to three days, depending on the complexity of the case and the availability of experts to conduct the procedure. However, a virtual autopsy can be conducted within less than 30 minutes.This process saves both time and manpower. It is also cost-effective.Why do we need a virtual autopsy?Apart from benefits to medical professionals, a virtual autopsy has many emotional and ethical advantages. Many religions and cultures are against mutilating the body for the sake of autopsy.“Some groups – notably Jewish and Muslim communities – have religious objections to autopsy, and demand for a minimally invasive alternative has increased,” a paper in The Lancet says.In December 2019, Dr Harsh Vardhan, the then Union health minister, had called virtual autopsy a “dignified management of dead body”, acknowledging that traditional post-mortem often makes a deceased’s family uncomfortable.When did India start doing virtual autopsies?In March 2021, AIIMS decided to conduct this procedure whenever possible. It was the first medical institution in south and southeast Asia to have the facility.The hospital gets close to 3,000 cases for post-mortem examination every year. Dr Sudhir Gupta told The Times of India that 30 to 50 per cent of these cases do not require dissection. “These include deaths caused due to accident, hanging or suicide. In many cases, there is no need to cut open the body to establish the cause of death,” he had said in March 2021.AIIMS set up the virtual autopsy lab with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India that promotes biomedical research.In Mumbai, the Nair Hospital received a nod from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in 2018 to set up a high-tech virtual autopsy centre. The cost of the project was estimated at Rs 20 crore, according to a report in the tabloid Mid-day.Where else is virtual autopsy practised?Virtual autopsy first began in Sweden. Now, this technique is used in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Switzerland and other European countries.“Post-post-mortem” MRI service for “selected non-suspicious deaths” was introduced in Manchester, the UK in the 1990s. The Jewish and Muslim communities demanded a non-invasive procedure, according to a report in The Indian Express. The Royal College of Pathologists UK has issued guidelines for virtual autopsies.A 2012 article in The Wired titled, “Looking Inside the Dead: The Rise of the Virtual Autopsy” says, back then it was “routine for the bodies of US military members to be subjected to CT scan or X-ray before they are released for burial or cremation”.How accurate is this procedure?According to an article in the Journal of Pathology Informatics, scientists found that in 64 per cent of the cases studied virtual autopsy results matched that of the traditional autopsy.A paper titled “The uniqueness of the human dentition as forensic evidence: a systematic review on the technological methodology” said that though virtopsy has its advantages, it has a disadvantage that the physiological senses of an anatomical pathologist like smell, texture, and colour are restricted as there is no direct contact with the dead body of the victim. Also, the main disadvantage is the feasibility of using these high-technology imaging devices in less developed countries.With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.