title: [HIV infection in legal autopsies].
abstract: Since May 1987 all postmortem cases at the Munich Institute of Forensic Medicine were screened for HIV-antibodies. If possible, testing was carried out before the postmortem examination in order to allow specific protective measures. 19 of 2631 consecutively tested corpses (= 0.7%) were HIV-infected. Since 1986, the onset of occasional testing, we found 29 HIV-infections. 24 of these were men, 5 were women. At least 15 were i.v.-drug abusers und 8 were homosexuals. In post mortem testing of body fluids false-positive results can be recognized easily even by ELISA-testing alone. Additional testing of several body fluids other than blood and especially of brain tissue proved to be valuable and yielded reliable results. Body fluids and tissues of HIV-infected corpses are potentially infectious as long as one week after death.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Penning
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tutsch-Bauer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gürtler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spann
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002423:Cause of Death; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005860:Germany, West; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans
vernacular_title: HIV-Infektion bei gerichtlichen Leichenöffnungen.