Specialized Crime investigation with Legal Medicine Chapter 8 CHANGES IN THE MUSCLE

Postmortem changes begin soon after death and progress along a timeline. Two processes, putrefaction and autolysis, begin to alter the body; either one may predominate, depending on th circumstances surrounding death, as well as the climate

Fulciaction process of dacey crrotting in a body or other organis mattar

Autotris more commont, inown catat digestion. refer; no the destruction of a call through the oction of its con craymas

Putrefaction involves the action of bacteria on the tissues of the body. This process, prevalent in mo climates, is associated with green discoloration of the body; gas production with associated bloatin skin slippage; and a foul odor/pungent.

Death and the changes that follow have been ingrained in society since the dawn of history. Ancie Egyptians took extraordinary measures to slow decomposition, with some good results through mummification.

After death, a sequence of changes naturally occurs in the human body. Although these changes proceed in a relatively orderly fashion, a variety of external factors and intrinsic characteristics may accelerate or retard decomposition

Ancient Egyptian mummification was a complex process aimed at preserving bodies for the afterlife, involving organ removal, drying with natron, and wrapping in linen, offen with amulets and rituals

Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife when someone died. Mummification helped someone reach the afterlife as they believed that an afterlife could only exist if there was a form the ka (soul) could repossess after death. Egyptians believed that the only way to do this was if the body was recognizable.

• Understanding common postmortem changes and the variables that affect them allows the forensic pathologist to more accurately estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) and to provide a time frame during which death occurred.

• Further, an awareness of common postmortem artifacts limits the risk of misdiagnosis at the time of autopsy.

The only practical interest in Rigor Mortis is in the estimation of the time since death. Rigor mortis may be first detectable within 1-4 hour in the face and 4-6 hour in the limbs secondary flaccidity becoming apparent from 48-50 hour.

CONDITION SIMULATING RIGOR MORTIS

• 1. HEAT STIFFENING - a condition characterized by hardening of the muscles due to coagulation of muscle protein when the dead body is exposed to intense heat as by burning or immersion in a hot liquid

• 2. COLD STIFFENING - a condition characterized by a hardening of a muscle due to solidification of fats, muscles and fluid when the dead body is place in extremely cold temperature.

• 3. CADAVERIC SPASM OR SPONTANEOUS RIGIDITY - instant stiffening of a certain group of muscles which occurs immediately at the moment of death, although its cause is unknown, it is associated with violent death due to extreme nervous tension or injury to the central nervous system.

• A muscular change characterized by the softness of the muscles in which no longer response to electrical or mechanical stimuli due to dissolution of the protein that have been previously coagulated during the stage of rigor mortis. This stage is the onset of putrefaction

• PUTREFACTION |
  This is the usual course of decomposition leading to liquefaction of tissues by the digestive action in its enzyme and liquefaction of tissues and usually accompanied by the liberation of foul-smelling gases and change of color of tissues.

• Some authorities defined putrefaction as the breaking down of complex proteins, carbohydrate, vitamin and minerals to simpler components by the action of its enzymes and bacteria resulting to softening and liquefaction of tissues with liberation of gases and change in color of tissue.

• Flies will be attracted to the dead body during putrefaction and sipped the juicy portion of the tissues and lay eggs. The eggs will hatch 24 hours into maggots and again feed vigorously in damage tissues.

• Other destructional agents in decomposition of the body are the rodents, lizards, snakes, vultures, ants

  SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN PUTREFACTION OF DEAD BODY IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES

1-2 days (24-48 hours), disappearance of rigor mortis, putrefactive changes in muscles and soft tissues, greenish discoloration over the abdomen. Some veins beneath the skin seen as interlacing purplish brown network over the shoulder, chest and abdomen known as MARBOLIZATION.

72 Hours (3rd day) - abdomen distended with gases, trunk bloated. Hairs and nails loosened from its attachment. The blisters formation and blebs. Face grossly swollen and discolored, maggots are seen.

7 Days (1 week) - further bloating of the body and discoloration of the skin. Soft tissues continue to putrefy.

14 days (2 weeks) detachment of hairs and nails from attachment. Bursting of thorax and abdomen. Further dissolution of more resistant tissues.

1 Month (30days)-body is completely skeletonized. The speed in which process of destruction occurs depends on whether the body is decaying in air, water or water or under the earth. The process more rigid in air than the other 2 media is expressed by the old formula which states i week in the air is equivalent to two weeks in water and & weeks in soil

SPECIAL FORMS OF PUTREFACTION

• MUMMIFICATION - a condition where there is removal of the fluid before decomposition sets in that resulted to shrinking and preservation of the dead body.

• NATURAL MUMMIFICATION - the dead body is buried or exposed to a dry, hot, sandy, soil with considerable air movement.

• ARTIFICIAL MUMMIFICATION OR EMBALMING - Some chemicals are added to the dead body like formalin, phenol, arsenic or mercury and covering the skin with Plaster of Paris.

• Adipocere Formation - it is the formation of a soft friable, brownish white greasy substance called adipocere formed by hydrolysis and dehydrogenation of body fats.

Adipocere is a soll waxy molenal. roncid m smell, dissolves in alconol and burns with a klue llame .

CAUSES OF DEATH The classifications are natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined, and pending.

Only medical examiner's and coroners may use all of the manners of death

• Natural Death - it is death due to a disease or ailment in the body. The disease may occur spontaneously or may have been the consequences of the physical injury inflicted prior to its development. Termination of life occurs quickly, unexpected or delayed due to lingering illness.

Sudden death is the termination of the life whose arrival is not expected. A good example of this and

called sudden unexplained nocturnal death (SNND) group commonly called "Bangungot".

• Violent Death /Accidental death - it is death due to injuries of some forms of outside force wherein the physical injuries inflicted is the proximate cause of death.

• SUICIDAL DEATH

• HOMICIDAL DEATH

• UNDETERMINED DEATH
  PENDING DEATH

PHYSICAL INJURIES

CLASSIFICATION OF PHYSICAL INJURIES

• 1. Physical force

• 2. Thermal injuries

• 3. Electrical injury

• 4. Change in atmospheric pressure

• 5. Chemical injury

• 6. Radioactive injury