Ch. 5 - Death: Agonal and Postmortem changes

Stages of death

Agonal Period (antemortem)

Somatic death (postmortem)

-clinical

-brain

-biological

-postmortem cellular death

Moribund

Actively dying

Death Rattle

Respiratory gurgling or rattling in throat caused by build up of mucus and worsening by loss of cough reflex.

Death struggle

Semi convulsive twitches, often occur before death, marks final efforts to sustain life

If agonal period is lengthy what cases might they encounter

Disease progressed (tumor)

Circulatory changes

Moisture

Translocation of microorganisms

Temperature changes

Agonal algor, agonal fever.

What leads to agonal algor?

Slow death leads to circulatory and metabolism slowing leading to this cool down

Agonal fever

Increase in body temperature just prior to death

Agonal fever is most often seen in cases of

Infection, toxemia (poisoning)

Circulatory changes

Agonal hypostasis, agonal coagulation

Agonal hypostasis

Settling of the blood into the dependent tissues of the body

Agonal coagulation

Occurs as circulatory of blood slows and elements of blood clots and congeal.

Agonal capillary expansion

Dilation of pores in capillaries to send more oxygen to tissues and cells.

Moisture changes

Agonal edema, agonal dehydration

Agonal Edema

Increased amount of moisture or fluids in the tissue of body cavity as a result of disease or capillary expansion

Agonal dehydration

Decrease in amount of moisture or fluids in tissue or body cavity

Why can the body have both agonal edema and dehydration

Capillaries expand, letting in oxygen and fluid. Tissues become edematous, Capillaries dehydrate and no longer can hold in moisture

Translocation of microorganisms

Movement of microorganisms from one area of the body to another

Bodies defenses degrade which leads to

Organisms usually contained to one part of the body becoming mobile.

How does translocation happen?

Natural mobility, microorganisms entering the blood stream and being carried elsewhere, hypostasis causes gravitation to other parts.

When does cellular death happen?

Both antemortem and postmortem

Two processes of Cellular death antemortem

Necrobiosis, Necrosis

Necrobiosis

Physiological or natural death of cells as they complete their life cycle

Necrosis

Pathological death of body cells as a result of disease processes.

Somatic death happens after

Agonal death

Order of somatic death

Clinical death, brain death, biological death, postmortem cellular death

Changes during agonal period

Temperature, circulatory, moisture, translocation of organisms

Agonal Algor (Temp)

Cooling or lowering of body temperature just prior to death

What causes the temperature change in agonal period

Metabolism and circulatory system slow leading to this cool down.

Agonal fever

Increase of body temperature prior to death

What is agonal fever often seen in

Person with infection or toxemia,

Agonal Hypostatsis (circulatory)

Settling of blood into dependent tissues of body

Agonal coagulation (circulatory)

Occurs as circulation of blood slows and elements of blood clots and congeal.

Agonal capillary expansion

Dilation of pores within the capillaries in an effort to send more oxygen to the tissues and cells

Agonal edema

Increase amount of moisture or fluids in tissue and body cavity results of disease or capillary expansion

Agonal dehydration

Decrease in amount of moisture or fluids in tissues or body cavity

How can a body have both edema and dehydration?

The capillaries expand letting in fluid and oxygen, tissues are edematous but capillaries are left dehydrated because they no longer hold moisture

Translocation of microorganisms

Movement of microorganisms from one area of body to another

How does translocation happen?

Natural mobility, entering blood stream where microorganisms can be carried elsewhere in body.

Cellular death happens when?

Antemortem and postmortem

Cellular death, antemortem processes (2)

Necribiosis, necrosis

Necrobiosis

Physiological or natural death of cells as they complete their lifestyle

Necrosis

Pathologic death of body cells as a result of disease processes

Somatic death timeline processes

Clinical death, brain death, biological death, postmortem cell deatg

When does somatic death occur?

After agonal death

Clinical death

When spontaneous respiration and heartbeat irreversibly cease

When will the brain begin dying

Within 5-6 minutes without oxygen

Order of brain death

Cerebral cortex, mid-brain, brain stem

Biological Death

Irreversible phase of somatic death, cessation of simple body processes organs no longer function

How does post mortem cell death happen?

One of vital elements in person is depleted (oxygen, nutrients) cells are overcome by autolytic processes and die

Types of post mortem changes

Physical and chemical