Post Mortem Changes

Question 1

Early postmortem changes (3)

Answer 1

Temperature degradation
Hypostasis
Rigormortis

Question 2

Late postmortem changes (4)

Answer 2

Decomposition and autolysis
Mummification
Adipocere
Skeletonisation

Question 3

Human body ___ obey Newton’s law of colling

Answer 3

does not

Question 4

Metabolic heat production ____ occur uniformly in humans

Answer 4

does not

Question 5

Some heat generation continues after death for variable time (T/F)

Answer 5

T

Question 6

Factors affecting body cooling (7)

Answer 6

Initial body temperature
Strenuous exercise
Illness- fever
Drug reactions
Body dimensions
Oedema
Dehydration

Question 7

Hypostasis

Answer 7

Occurs when circulation ceases and gravity pools blood to lowest accessible area

Question 8

Cherry Red Hypostasis

Answer 8

Carboxyhaemoglobin- CO3 Poisoning

Question 9

Dark blue-pink

Answer 9

Cyanide poisoning

Question 10

Brownish red

Answer 10

Methaemoglobin- certain chemicals or drug

Question 11

Rigor Mortis

Answer 11

Stiffening and shortening of muscles fibres due to reduction of ATP

Question 12

What muscles are affected first in rigor mortis

Answer 12

small muscles before larger muscles

Question 13

Factors affecting timing

Answer 13

Temperature
Physical activity
Body temperature before death
Convulsions
Electrocution

Question 14

Warm and flaccid

Answer 14

dead less than 3 hours

Question 15

Warm and stiff

Answer 15

dead 3-8 hours

Question 16

Cold and stiff

Answer 16

dead 8-36 hours

Question 17

Cold and flaccid

Answer 17

dead longer than 36 hours

Question 18

Putrefacation

Answer 18

Microbiological degradation

Question 19

Autolysis

Answer 19

Endogenous proteolytic degeneration

Question 20

Autolysis

Answer 20

Endogenous proteolytic degeneration

Question 21

Variables to consider during decomposition

Answer 21

Temperature
Humidity
Cleanliness of environment

Question 22

Mummification

Answer 22

A process of dry decomposition, with desiccation of the body and a relative lack of bacterial involvement

Question 23

____ bodies particularly prone to mummification

Answer 23

Infant

Question 24

Adipocere

Answer 24

Induced by the alteration of fatty tissue within the body into greasy/waxy or brittle material which remains attached to the bony skeleton

Question 25

Skeletonisation

Answer 25

Condition when all of the soft tissues of the body have completely degraded and is extremely variable