Evaluation of pediatric autopsy findings in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Pediatric autopsy is useful to evaluate the natural and unnatural childhood deaths. The postmortem examination improves both treatment and the standard of care for the future. The study was done to assess a pathological spectrum of cause of death in pediatric age (0-18 year) autopsy done at pathology department in B.J. medical college, civil hospital Ahmedabad. Materials and Methods: Autopsies were conducted on 70 pediatric age group patients during the period of January 2020 to March 2024 by conventional technique. The organ specimens were examined sampled and processed by routine paraffin method, sections were stained by H&E and studied microscopically. Results: Total 2211 Autopsies were conducted from January 2020 to march 2024. Out of these, 70 autopsy were done on pediatric age group. The comparison was done according to history obtained and final conclusion given after studying H&E stained tissue sections. While evaluating cause of death in pediatric autopsy, it was found that most common cause of death in pathological spectrum; Sudden cardiac death (10), Asphyxia (7), pneumonia (5), insect bite (4), Epilepsy (4) and known case of biliary atresia (1), unknown etiology (22) accidental (12), food poisoning (5), medicine ingestion (5), homicidal (3), suicidal cases (2). Conclusion Pediatric autopsies in present study (3.2%) are less than adult autopsies (96.8 %) in present study. Spectrum of causes include Food poisoning, medicine ingestion, accident, cardiac cause (sudden death), homicidal, epilepsy /neurological, suicide etc. Most common cause of death in pediatric is pneumonia in pathological spectrum. Histopathological Examination of tissue samples have limited role in pediatric autopsies.