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Kids v Cancer

A PEDIATRIC CANCER THINK TANK

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Autopsy Tissue Donation Logistics Checklist

Download a printable copy of this checklist

  1. Obtain consent to an autopsy donation for research purposes from the family
  2. Contact researchers to confirm that they are interested in receiving tissue

    checkbox See Kids v Cancer Researchers’ page to select researchers to receive tissue
    checkbox Donations to several researchers can be made from one autopsy
    checkboxEmail researchers and request autopsy protocols. Review each protocol for:

    • timing requirements of autopsy (often within 12 hours of death)
    • tissue shipping requirements: fresh (in media on wet ice), frozen (on dry ice), or fixed (in formalin or paraformaldehyde)
  3. Contact the pathologists to provide them with background on the autopsy and tissue donation

    Alert pathologists to the likely timing

    • Review staffing of pathologists on weekends/nights
    • Obtain email/pager for pathologist to be contacted when death occurs
    • Provide researchers’ email/phone numbers to pathologists

    Review the autopsy protocols, including:

    • Types of tissue/quantity of tissue/timing/resection technique
    • storage/shipment of tissue/FedEx number
    • Confirm pathologist has sterile drapes, gloves, scalpels, containers for tissue collection
  4. Funeral parlor (for children who die at home)

    Contact funeral parlor early

    • Review timing requirements
    • Does funeral parlor use a third party for after-hours transportation? If so, do they know timing requirements and morgue procedure?
    • Review whether there will be any additional legal authorizations required for transportation of a body across county/state lines, or for determination of death after hours for purposes of transportation

    Transportation expenses

    • Request a donation of free transport services from home to morgue and from morgue to the funeral parlor (almost all funeral parlors consent)
    • If denied, identify other sources of funding for transportation

    Morgue

    • Confirm hours, address, how to enter during closed hours
    • Obtain email/pager for person to contact during closed hours
  5. After pronouncement of death contact funeral home, pathologist, and researcher
    confirm autopsy and shipment with family
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