"Of all the doctors, only the pathologist feels completely comfortable - no one complains about him." This expression is familiar to many. Today, this profession is endangered. Autopsy, which is considered the main work of a specialist, is gradually fading into the past. But is this profession no longer needed? Before answering this question, it is necessary to understand what it is.
Pathologist - who is it?
A pathologist is called a specialist who is engaged in the detection of various pathologies, based on the normal organization of the structure of the human body. The specialist works with biopsy material, therefore, in frequent cases, the patient’s life depends on his conclusion, and he performs autopsies to identify the cause of death and the mortality rate from various ailments. Moreover, such a physician is able to establish the causes of diagnostic errors, which makes it possible to conduct training of medical practitioners based on the results of the conclusion. Now, autopsies are carried out little, only about seventy percent of the dead are opened.
Now a pathologist is most often a person over sixty years old (36%). Among them are those who are 40-50 years old (20%), and young people under thirty years old (2%). Young people are reluctant to work in this profession, because they believe that the salary is very small.
Activities
The work of the pathologist is a bit similar to the work of a forensic expert. He finds out the diagnosis that caused the death, reveals the fact that the mistake in making the diagnosis did not become the cause of death, and also whether other inaccuracies were made by the doctors. If there is a suspicion of an infectious disease, an autopsy is mandatory.
The doctor makes the diagnosis only when all the tissues undergo laboratory testing. The doctor can send the analysis to another laboratory to detect the presence of certain chemicals in the body.
The salary
Nowadays, few young people choose such a profession as a pathologist. Their salary is now not as high as we would like. For example, in the West, the pathologist is the second highest paid medical specialty, because they understand that without this doctor most diagnoses cannot be made. Our salary is very small, people have to work at three or four rates, and this is a huge load. So, for one bet, a physician is obliged to look up to four thousand biopsies in one year or three hundred and forty in a month. One hospital only carries out forty thousand studies, so there is a chance that when the older generation retires, there will simply be no one to work on.
And if doctors of other specialties, except for salary, have additional earnings, since patients often pay in cash, then the pathologist (who is described above) does not communicate with patients, and is not related to their treatment. Therefore, people rarely choose this profession.
Autopsy
Previously, a pathologist had to perform an autopsy always. Today, after the law on the funeral case was passed, this procedure is carried out only with the permission of relatives or in the case of a natural death of a person, the reasons for which are not clear.
The volume of autopsies depends on what diagnosis was made to the deceased. In some cases, to identify the cause of death, an autopsy is performed on all the cavities that are in the human body, including the skull.
In medicine, there are certain rules by which an autopsy is necessary. They describe how to properly cut and take material for research. Before starting these procedures, you need to carefully study the medical history of the deceased person. It takes about an hour and a half of time.
An autopsy should only be performed in the presence of a clinician. Only then is the conclusion of the pathologist made and a death certificate issued.
The specialist is constantly in contact with chemicals, which negatively affects health. All drugs must first be registered, and then, after research, sent to the archive, where they are stored for a very long time. This is done so that in case of an error or if necessary, it was possible to either confirm or refute the diagnosis made earlier.
Types of Showdown
There are several types of autopsy:
- According to Vikhrov. In this case, each organ is taken separately and carefully examined by the autopsy participants.
- According to Abrikosov. Here organs are removed according to systems, for example, the stomach, along with all the intestines and liver.
- According to shore. In this case, everything is extracted immediately, due to which one hundred percent efficiency is achieved.
- Regional standing. The method is used when the deceased person suffered from tuberculosis, hepatitis or HIV during his lifetime. Here the nurse makes an incision in the abdominal wall, and the doctor takes everywhere small fragments of tissue and immediately sutures. A long stay with diseased organs entails negative consequences.
- Topographic anatomy. The method allows you to explore options for the location of organs relative to each other.
Qualities
Now many are asking about the pathologist - who it is, what qualities it should have. Firstly, for the correct diagnosis it is necessary to know the anatomy and physiology of a person, many diseases, syndromes, as well as how they appear.
The pathologist should have scrupulousness, professional erudition, have a good memory, developed thinking, as well as patience.
According to the doctors themselves, they have some internal psychological defense. When there is an autopsy, an internal switchover occurs, the thought begins to work in only one direction. The pathologist tries to understand what lies at the basis of the pathology, whether the conclusion coincides with the clinic of the disease, what the pathologist’s diagnosis will be.
In fact, the pathologist is not as cynical as a doctor of any other specialty. This is explained by the fact that he does not see the suffering of a sick person, does not hear his moans, unlike other doctors. He works as a pathologist in a calm environment, so he does not become less sensitive.
Features of work
Under no circumstances will a pathologist perform an autopsy on a patient whom he knew during his lifetime. When such a procedure is planned with a person suffering from tuberculosis, you must eat. Otherwise, there is a risk of infection. When asked about who the pathologist is, who the experts are, they say that only medical students who do not joke about who can have lunch next to the corpse become real doctors.
Summary
To become a pathologist, you must have a medical education. The workplace of this specialist is a morgue. There he conducts research. Sometimes the doctor sends materials to other laboratories for examination.
The pathologist’s activities are primarily aimed at preserving human life and health. In addition to diagnosis, this doctor deals with the autopsy of deceased people. In the first place, this specialist has an intravital examination of the surgical material, as well as a biopsy. Based on the conclusions, it is concluded that the diagnosis is correct. This is especially important for cancer patients, since life depends on it.
Thus, the hallmark in the profession of pathologist is the versatility in medicine. This specialist receives materials from all areas: neurosurgery, cardiology, urology, gynecology and so on. Therefore, the pathologist is a difficult profession. He must be able to understand everything that happens in the body, know all the pathologies and be able to correctly diagnose. After all, for each direction for diagnosis to this doctor is the fate of a person. Not only the treatment of the patient depends on the diagnosis, but also the volume of the operation, as well as the indications for it. But in modern times, few people want to acquire the specialty of a pathologist, and you can’t do without such a specialist in medicine.