Isolation of infectious agents in fixed human cadavers

Background: Cadaver is considered as an important tool in the field of anatomy education. However, there are controversies over the necessity of using fixed cadavers for teaching purposes. Despite the antimicrobial function of the fixative agents, there are reports about the presence of some pathogens in embalming cadavers indicating the presence of resistant bacteria. In this regard, the aim of this study was to detect collected and identify bacteria species from different parts of the cadavers which were kept out of formalin for 6 months. Methods: In this study, sampling was carried out in the dissection room of Iran University of Medical Sciences. Samples were collected from 16 different body parts of five cadavers with a sterile swab and transferred to a transport media for further analysis. Bacterial identification was then carried out by reference biochemical methods. Results: Among 80 samples collected from 16 body different parts of 5 cadavers, 24 were positive for microbial infection. Positive cultures were from different parts including interdigital space (n=5), cubital fossa (n=4), nostrils (n=4), inner angle of eye (n=3), skin over mastoidal area (n=3), perineum (n=2), external acoustic meatus (n=1), Inguinal area (n=1) and small intestines (n=1). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that when the cadaver is exposed to the environment, there is a risk for the transmission of microbial agents. Further studies are needed to understand the transmission route of these microorganisms and to decide whether using cadavers is still inseparable for anatomy teaching after all these significant advances in technology or not.

کلیدواژه ها:

fixed Cadaver ، formaldehyde ، dissection room ، bacteria