Post mortem (PM) microbiology is a neglected field and invokes considerable controversies. The discordance between ante mortem clinical and laboratory tests and post mortem culture reports has always been debated. Contamination of the sample during collection is the primary concern that limits utilization of PM cultures. Though they have been useful in discovery of infectious agents, postmortem cultures are not widely practiced at present. Several studies have evaluated the scope of PM cultures and have concluded variably.
Apart from medico-legal, the academic relevance of autopsies cannot be understated. Most of the autopsies performed for academic or training purposes are limited to pathology and forensic sciences. But the contribution of autopsies to discovery and better understanding of infectious diseases have been plenty. These include, but are not limited to HIV, tuberculosis,…
