Autopsy technician work includes tasks such as preparing the autopsy suite, providing specimen containers for examination, moving bodies, and assisting the pathologist with various parts of the exam. This could involve responsibilities such as eviscerating and weighing organs as well as collecting toxicology samples.
A forensic autopsy technician is responsible for providing technical assistance when diagnosing disease or trauma within the realm of medicolegal autopsies.
Essential duties of forensic autopsy technicians may include:
Positioning and photographing bodies and organs
Opening and closing bodies
Drawing and spinning blood samples
Taking cultures
Collecting latent and cast fingerprints
Removing organs, tissues and fluids
Performing diagnostic imaging activities, including body and dental x-rays
Photographing and documenting wounds and areas of injury
Preparing and preserving forensic evidence
Collecting and preserving clothing, physical and biological evidence for forensic analysis
Assisting forensic scientists in specialty forensic examinations, such as dental or anthropology examinations
Preparing preliminary summaries of the deceaseds clinical history
Maintaining detailed records of all collected evidence and examinations
Overseeing the release of bodies to funeral homes
Keyskills: surgical procedures patient care vital signs medical records funeral homes blood samples post-mortem examinations hospital body fluids