Death

Complete and irreveresible los of all the functions of the body

Post mortm changes
#Immediate somatic death
#Early cellular death
#Late including modified changes

1)Immediate​ .
1)Insensibility no movemnt and loss of eeg rthym .
2)Cessation of respiration and circulation
●Eye changes -loss of corneal and light reflex
●cessation of cns functions .
Cessation of respiration .
● (mirror test )
● Saucer test
3)Cessation of circulation .
Life is compatible with temporary suspension of the heart beat and respiration such state is
called ​suspended animation.
Condition in which vital function of body at such a low pitch that they cannot be detected by
routine method of clinical examination this state is called ​apparent death
● Diaphanous test
● Magnous ligature test
● Ecg 5 minutes.
4)Cessation of cns - eeg for 5 minutes.
●Cadaveric spasm also called instantaneous rigor .
This is the condition chracterized by the stiffenning of the muscles immediately after
death without being preceded by the stage of primary relaxation .
Start after 2 to 3 hours after death .
And it develop in 12 hour. And and remove after 12 hours .
M​edicolegal imp of cadaveric spasm
1. It indicates sudden death associated with great emotional tension.
2. Indicates that muscles in physical activity at the time og death .
3. It may indicate the nature of death (sucide .homicide or accident )

2)Early changes​ (cellular or molecular)

Include
1. Change in eyes
2. Cooling of body (algor mortis)
3. Hypostasis /pm lividity /pm staining
4. Rigor mortis .
 1. #​Change in eye​ : taches noires sclerotiques
brownish deposition on sclera if eyes remain open
Taches noires​ appear in sclera within the 3 hours of death if eyes remain open .this
deposition is due to the formation of cellular debris , dust setting .thereon .
#​Cattle trucking​ : after death, blood in blood vessel of retina become dotted first and then
segmented in retinal blood vessels.and these segmnts moves like cattles going in a truck .
#eye balls ​become flaccid as intraocular pressure falls.
#cornea ​become dry ,cloudy ,opaque as tears are not produce .

2)cooling of the body :

Changes in temp also called ​algor​ mortis (coldness of death).during life there is balance b/w
the heat production and heat loss .but after death there is only heat loss .
Principles​ :
Body loss the heat by the convection,radiation and conduction .surface and core of body .u
RECORDING OF TEMP:-
Thanatometer
25cm long
.0to 50 celcius .
Insert 8-10cm in the rectum .so Measured by Rectum or in nostril or auditory meatus or
under surface of liver .
Average rate of fall of temp equal to no of hours in death .
●accordingly when the body temp is normal at time of death ,there is no fall in temperature
for 30 to 45 min known as isothermic phase .
Post mortem plateau
_______during this no change in temp of body .
Body attain the temp of envirnmnt after 24 hours..
Pm caloricity :
Acute​ baterial or viral infection such as lobar pneumonia typhoid fever encephalitis etc when
there is pronounced bacterial or viaral activity this phenomenon is called pm caloricity.
After -death-heat
Color heat
Factrs affecting the change in temp6
1. Age :
Children +adult + lean body cool rapidly.
2. Sex ( women cool less rapidly ).
3. Covering and condition of body
4. Mode of death (in sudden death body cool slowly .and in long term illness the body
cools rapidly .
5. Surroundings .
Body cools more rapidly in ,water ,well ventilated room ,.
6. Environmntal temperature .
If body temp difference with environmnt is greater ,then cool more rapidly .

3)Hypostasis:
pm​ staining or .pm lividity : suggilation vibices .livor mortis.
 “​Discoloration of the skin and the organs after death due to accumulation of fluid blood in
toneless capallaries and small veins of the dependent parts of the body” .
Pooling of fluid blood in the toneless capallaries due to gravity .
It Begins as a series of mottled patches on the dependent parts within the 1 -3 hours , and
then these patches increase in size and coalesce in about 3-6 hours , to form lage confleunt
area on depndent parts of the body . It become fix in about 6 -8 hours .
if body in supine position .bllod will collect in back .
Time of hupostasis
Start to appear after 1 hour after death
Pathches 1 to 3 hours
Patches meet each other 3 to 6 hours .
Become fixed for 6 to 8 hours and merges with putrifaction.
Area of contact flattening ;-
Thoes areas of body which are in actual contact with the surface on which body is lying .Due
to the whole wieght of whole body acts at these points .so the lumen of blood vesssel
occlude or compress.
Factr efecting the hypostasis
1 Skin colour
2 geater the volume of blood greater will be hypostasis .so if death occur due to excessive
bleeding .hypostasis will no appear .
And there will b no hypostasis if body continue change position.
Colour and intensity of levidity depend on colour of blood and mode of death .
Color of hypostasis
●bright chery red _____ carnon monoxide
●pink ----- k cyanide
Choclate brown ---- potassium chlorate .
Dark brown --- phosphorus poisoning .
Black color ---- in opium poisoning
Bluish green ---- hydrogen sulphate h2S
Medicolegal importance

1. Help to estimate Time since death .pm interval

2. Position of the body at the time of death
3. Colour may suggest the Cause of death
4. Lividity (and bruise.
5. It is reliable sign of death .
Difference between Pm staining(pm lividity ) and bruise
Due to excessive fibrinolysin .
Bruise blood ozes out from ryptured wall of the cappallaries .
Site :
●Pm lividity On depndent parts of body
●Bruise May present any where in body
Uniformity .:
■Pm staining is uniform in colour
■Bruise is not uniform in colour
₩ Swelling is present only in bruise
₩ swelling not present in pm lividity .

Abrasion
Vital reaction ​present only in bruise .
Incisin at dite .blood cloted in bruise.
Microscopy
_____________________
7 novmber
8 nov
Imediatly after death
Rigor motis
Stiffening and shortening of muscles which follow period of primary relaxation .duevto lack of
ATP ,there is fusion of actin and myosin filaments in to a dehydrated stiff gel resulting in
condition rigor motis .
During rigor mortis​ , the reaction of muscle changes from slightly alkaline to acid owing to
the formation of lactic acid .rigor mortis presist until there is autolysis of actin and myosin
filaments occur as a part of putrefaction .when autolysis occur ,there is relaxation of muscles
called secondary relaxation.
Breaking if rigor mortis
Rigor mortis can be broken by mechanical forece .if a limb which is stiff due to rigor ,is flexed
forceibly at a jiont .the limb become flaccid and will remain so there aftr .

Time of rigor mortis

It frs​t appear in involuntry muscles and then in voluntry .
Rigir mortis appear in heart with in 1 hour of death..
Sequence of appearence of rigor mortis in voluntry muscles is as follows
● Muscles of eyelid . 3-4 hours
● Muscles of face 4-5 hours
● Musxles of neck and trunk 5 -7
● Muscles of upper exterimities 7-9 hours .
● Muscles of Legs 9 -11 hours
● Last to be affected are small muscles of fingers and toes 11-12 hours .
Order of apperence and disappearence
Factrs influence the rigor mortis
1)age and condition of body .
● In children +adults rigor mortis early develop .
● more the bulk of muscles more then duration .viceversa
2)body muscle
3)disease .rigor mortis will be weak in case of muscle disease
4)surrounding temp :- in cold it delays and accelerated by heat .
The longer it takes to appear the longer it last
General rule
Longer the rigor motis take time to appear ,longer it lasts

Stimulatrs
1. Cadaveric spasm or instantaneous rigor
Contraction of muscle is more prominent .
2. Heat coagulation or heat stiffening
This condition is found in bodies whoes are exposed to tenp more then 70 .the heat
coagulates the protein of the muscles and cause stiffening and contraction of the muscles to
a greater degree as compared to rigor mortis .the body assumes an attitude called ​pugilistic
attitude ​(lower limb+ arms r semiflexed
Hands clenched .
3. Freezing or cold stiffening :
Rigor comes rapidly and lasts less time and less intensity
4. Putrefaction
Stiffening due to putrefactive gases in tissues cause false rigidity ..
CADAVERIC SPAM
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CADAVERIC SPASM AND IGOR MORTIS.
5. Secondary relaxation
After the rigor mortis disappear .muscles become soft and flaccid .
__________
3)Late changes
A​fter 24 hours
Include
1. Putrefaction
2. Adipocere formation or saponification.
Sometimes​ the process of putrefaction become arrested at some stage and the fatty tissue
of the body may become converted into fatty acid .
3. Mummification
Bo​dy tissue become dehydrated .
1 )Putrefaction or deconposition​ ;
destruction of the body by chemical and bacterial changes .
It is brought mainly by 2 processes
1. Autolysis
Enzymes Are released from the tissue cells .they soften and liquefy the tissue of body .3 to
4 hours after death and continue for 2 to 3 days .
​Or
the destruction of the dead body by the enzymes present in the cells .
2. Bacterial action
Heterolysis :destruction of dead body by bacteria .e.g clostridium welchii (lecithinase )this
enzyme destroy the cell wall.. streptococi proteus ecoli.
Putrefction or destruction
1. Colour changes
2. Foul smell Gases production
3. Pressure effect of the putrefactive gases
4. Appearance of maggots
Or
Main processes
#gas production
#discoloration
#liquafaction
1)Discoloration/colour changes
​:greenish patch on skin over ceacum and flanks and internally on under surface of liver .due
to formation if ​sulph methaemoglobin​ .it appear after 12 to 24 hours .it appear in summer
earlier 6 hours .and in winter it may be delayed more than 24 hours .
In winter rate of putrefaction will dec
Discoluration of whole body in next 24 hours .
Marbling:​start 24 hours after death .
After discloration ,the veins converging in root of neck ,over the shoulder ,running into the
groins .etc become visible as bluish and greenish lines due to the pigments from
decomposing blood staining in vessel wall .so the course of veins visible as bluish network
.this condition give mosaic appearance called marbling .
Or
blood vessel be becone promint in the body
2)Gas production :
h2s
amonia
Phosphorated hydrogen
Methane

Skin slip condition due to gas production .

Order of putrifaction
● Early to putrify: intestine ,stomach ,liver spleen brain.
● Late to decompose :
Lungs heart kidney blader .testes uterus and ovaries
● Organ last to putrify in female is nongravid uterus in male prostate is last to putrify

● Order in the air .

● Abdomen ,chest ,face legs, shoulders, arm

● Order in the water .

● Face, neck, shoulder ,arm ,abdomen ,legs.
After how many time nothing in the grave ,10 to 25 years .
Pm blister hairs .abti mortem blister contain fluid and vital reaction present .