F. Patel, HIV SEROPHOBIA IN THE MORTUARY - AN ALGORITHM SYSTEM FOR HANDLING HIGH-RISK FORENSIC CASES, Medicine, Science and the Law, 37(4), 1997, pp. 296-302
A serophobia of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is ver
y noticeable in mortuaries handling high-risk cases. The morbid anxiet
y about occupationally acquired HIV infection in the forensic practice
has made mortuary workers unduly overcautious. Despite the availabili
ty of codes of practice and informed principles of health and safety,
there is considerable anxiety that an HIV carrier with no identifiable
risk factors may be overlooked or a seronegative body may be inadvert
ently assumed to be uninfected. In contrast, a false sense of safety c
an pose a health hazard and has public health implications. An algorit
hm system is outlined for selective handling of unsuspected or unrecog
nized high-risk cases. It is necessary that guidelines are reasonably
simple and incorporate statutory health and safety regulations and loc
al safe working practice in the mortuary. Although it is not a legal o
bligation, approval by the coroners should facilitate consistent imple
mentation of a protocol. A common experience in public and NHS hospita
l mortuaries in the London coroners' jurisdictions is characterized.