Necropsy Flashcards
What are the 6 agonal changes?
- passive congestion
2.pulmonary oedema
3.pulmonary emphysema
4.stomach content within oesophagus + trachea
5.haemorrhage
6.intestinal intusseption
euthanasia effect - barbiturate
- crystals form on serosa and endothelium (thoracic cavity/ cardiac chamber)
- complete necrosis of parenchyma (lungs/myocardium)
post mortem changes - main reasons
- autolysis
- growth of bacteria
post mortem changes - causing…
- colour changes
- texture changes
3.tissue detachment
4.post mortem damage
Factors effecting post mortem changes
- tissue of origin e.g. if contains proteolytic
enzymes like pancreas vs bone
b) temperature (body temperature at death,
ambient temperature)
c) thickness of fleece / fur / blubber
d) bacterial flora
e) time span between death and necropsy
why does tissue stain red after death?
Why stain greenish/yellowish?
green-black staining?
- Hb leaks out of RBCs
- bile staining tissues adjacent to gall bladder
- H2S (enteric bacteria) + haemoglobin = sulfmethaemoglobin
Texture change - all effects
-bloating
-tissue softening
-rigor mortis
-post mortem clots
-changes in eye
-drying of tissue (mummification)
What is putrefaction?
animal bloating from bacterial fermentation
texture change - softening
notable in solid organs (liver, kidney) - proteolytic enzymes
texture change - rigor mortis
stiffening of muscles - depletion of ATP = body locks in rigor
usually takes 6-8hrs
texture change - post mortem clots
easily removed
- red clots (redcurrant jelly clots)
- white clots (chicken fat clots)
Texture change - eye
corneal opacity + reduced ocular turgor
tissue detachment
e.g mucosa (GI tract)
Post mortem cadaver damage
-scavenging birds
-freezing/thawing - diffuse red/pink colour
