Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Nov;190(11):2180-2184.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.08.005. Epub 2020 Aug 19.

Universal Precautions Provide Appropriate Protection during Autopsies of Patients with Infectious Diseases

Michael Kritselis  1 , Daniel G Remick  2
Affiliations
Review

Universal Precautions Provide Appropriate Protection during Autopsies of Patients with Infectious Diseases

Michael Kritselis et al. Am J Pathol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raised concerns about the safety of laboratory personnel who handle tissue samples that harbor pathogens, including those performing autopsies. While pathologists have performed autopsies on infected decedents for centuries, universal precaution protocols for limiting exposure to pathogens were not developed until the 20th century. This article reviews the history and effectiveness of universal precautions, with an emphasis on performing autopsies on COVID-19 decedents.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS): precautions for clinical and laboratory staffs. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1982;31:577–580. - PubMed
    1. Gallo R.C., Montagnier L. The discovery of HIV as the cause of AIDS. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:2283–2285. - PubMed
    1. Mason J.O. Recommendations for prevention of HIV transmission in health-care settings. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Suppl. 1987;36:001. - PubMed
    1. Fritzsche F.R., Dietel M., Weichert W., Buckendahl A.C. Cut-resistant protective gloves in pathology--effective and cost-effective. Virchows Arch. 2008;452:313–318. - PubMed
    1. Simons E.L. More on AIDS autopsies: the importance of compliance with universal precautions. Hum Pathol. 1989;20:92–93. - PubMed

Publication types