Question

You have recovered the heart valves from a 4 month old who died as a result of SIDS. In SIDS cases, an autopsy must be performed to determine:

a. The Cause of Death
b. True Age of Donor
c. Time of Death
d. None of these

Answer 1

An autopsy for a victim of SIDS typically aims to determine the cause of death. SIDS is associated with risk factors like premature birth and smoking, and may involve brain abnormalities affecting sleep and breathing. Option a.

Step-by-step explanation:

In cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), an autopsy is performed primarily to determine the cause of death. SIDS is characterized by the unexplained demise of a seemingly healthy infant, usually during sleep. It remains one of the leading causes of death in the first year of life in the U.S. Although the exact cause is unknown, risk factors associated with SIDS include premature birth, smoking within the home, and hyperthermia. Abnormalities in brain structure or function related to breathing and arousal from sleep have been suspected in SIDS cases.

Regarding heart valve recovery for transplantation, it's pertinent to note that organs must be used within a short time frame post-death. It has no direct bearing on the process of determining the cause of death in SIDS cases. However, conducting thorough investigations including autopsies can help in ruling out other potential heart defects, such as congenital conditions like Tetralogy of Fallot, which involves multiple heart anomalies that could also impact an infant's health.