4. Postmortem changes

Question 1

Cooling off

Answer 1

algor mortis

Question 2

Pale color

Answer 2

pallor mortis

Question 3

Desiccation

Answer 3

exsiccatio postmortalis

Question 4

Soaking

Answer 4

maceratio postmortalis

Question 5

Postmortem clot

Answer 5

cruor postmortalis

Question 6

PM blood sedimentation

Answer 6

hypostasis postmortalis

Question 7

Discoloration

Answer 7

imbibition

Question 8

Selfsoftening

Answer 8

autolysis

Question 9

Grave wax

Answer 9

adipocere

Question 10

What does PM cooling off depend on?

Answer 10

• hair, subcutaneous fat tissue
• temperature of surroundings

Question 11

Reasons of increased PM temperature:

Answer 11

• overtemperature (heat stroke, septicaemia)
• spusmic muscle contraction (tetanus, strychnine or DiNitroOrtoCrezol poisoning)

Question 12

Why corpse becomes pale?

Answer 12

• blood is settling to lower parts of an animal
• contraction of small vessels

NOT AN INFALLIBLE SIGN OF DEATH (ANEMIA)

Question 13

Why dessication happens and can it happen in alive animal?

Answer 13

• happens bc of evaporation (skin, mucous membranes, cornea)

*can happen in alive animals in case of necrotized skin

Question 14

Why soaking happens?

Answer 14

*skin, organs filled with fluid

• foetuses (aseptic autolysis)
• carcasses staying in water

Question 15

Stiffness in skeletal muscles

Answer 15

– 2-4 hours the beginning

– 5-8 hours becomes general

– 24-48 hours starts to disappear

– 48-60 passes off

Question 16

Specificity of rigor mortis in spleen:

Answer 16

Has smooth muscle interstitium (trabeculae of spleen) which will contract and spleen will be rigid. Can be confused with lesion (septicaemia -› septic splenitis -› rigid spleen)

Is stiffness of a spleen a PM change or lesion???

Question 17

Stiffness in heart muscle

Answer 17

– Standstill in diastole – looks like systole

– Develops fast (30 minutes)

– Lasts for 1 day

Question 18

Stiffness in smooth muscles

Answer 18

– Quick process (10-15 minutes)

– Lasts for 1 – 4 hours

Question 19

Onset and duration of RM. Rapid and short

Answer 19

– High environmental and/or inner temperature

– Prolonged muscular activity

– Young and elder animals

– Septicaemia, wasting diseases

Question 20

Onset and duration of RM. Delayed

Answer 20

– Asphyxial death (notably by carbon monoxide poisoning)

– Severe hemorrhage, cold surroundings

Question 21

Onset and duration of RM. Fails to develop

Answer 21

– In case of degenerative muscle changes

Question 22

Postmortem clot. Most imp inf:

Answer 22

• Not attached to the intima!
• After death blood clots in 15-30 minutes (Heart, large blood vessels)
• No clotting in small blood vessels - fibrinolysin

Question 23

Why self softening happens?

Answer 23

• Autolytic ferments of the cell in the cytoplasm
• Autodigestio (esophagus and stomach mainly)
• type of autolysis

Question 24

Postmortem destruction. The most imp inf

Answer 24

Activity of saprogenic bacteria

Suffocation supports the putrefaction– blood remains liquid

Question 25

What factors increase the speed of putrefaction?

Answer 25

* warm environment * obesity (body stays warmer for longer) * hyperemic organs (fulfilled with blood) * infection * injuries (port of entries for bacteris) * oedematous tissues

Question 26

Other types of discolourations:

Answer 26

* sulph-hemoglobin (hemoglobin + hydrogen sylphid (H2S) -› greyish green color * pseudomelanosis (iron (from hemoglobin) + hydrogen sulphyd (H2S) -› black color)

Question 27

Are post mortem changes dependent on fatal disease?

Answer 27

No !

Question 28

Are post mortem changes influenced by endogenous and environmental factors?

Answer 28

Yes. Very much.

Question 29

Stiffness

Answer 29

rigor mortis

Question 30

Postmortem decomposition

Answer 30

putrefaction

Question 31

Average speed of cooling off in dogs

Answer 31

1 celcius degree / hour

Question 32

Sequence of appearing and disappearing of rigor mortis:

Answer 32

Head -› Neck -› Body -› Limbs

Question 33

2 most imp forms of imbibition:

Answer 33

1. from blood (hemoglobin) 2. from gall bladder (bilirubin)

Question 34

What organ is very easily putrefied? And why?

Answer 34

Liver. Bc there are saprogenic bacteria and through vena portae they will enter the liver.

Question 35

At what temperature putrefaction stops?

Answer 35

Under 5 degree celcius

Question 36

What is the difference between autolysis and putrefaction?

Answer 36

Autolysis - by own enzymes of the organism Putrefaction - by bacteria

Question 37

Suffocation <-> putrefaction - ?

Answer 37

Suffocation supports putrefaction because blood remains liquid

Question 38

“Way” of putrefaction

Answer 38

Intestine -> vena portae -> liver

Question 39

What makes putrefaction rapid?

Answer 39

- obesity (retaining of the body heat) - warm environment - hyperaemic organs - widespread infection - injuries (portals of entry) - oedematous tissues

Question 40

What makes putrefaction slow?

Answer 40

- lean - dehydtration