محاضرة الطب الشرعي 2: الموت وعلاماته

Forensic Medicine Lecture 2: Death and its Signs

• Death: Cessation of all bodily functions. Cellular death occurs after a period of time varying by tissue type.
• Muscle Activity: Electro-chemical activity in the muscles continues for 20-30 minutes after death.
• Liver Function: The liver converts glycogen to glucose for up to 2 hours or more after death.
• Semen Viability: Sperm can remain viable for a couple of hours after death.
• Pupil Reflexes: Pupil response to drugs like atropine can persist for a significant number of hours.
• Tissue Repair: Forensic medicine has successful experiments of transplants/repairs/usage of deceased tissues

Signs of Death (Rigor Mortis)

• Rigor Mortis: Stiffening of muscles, commencing from the head progressing to the extremities. This is noticeable in the eyelids, then face, neck, chest, abdomen, and finally the limbs. The entire body is affected by approximately 12-18 hours.
• Duration: Rigor mortis's duration is affected by external factors (climate conditions). Typically lasts for 12-18 hours or more
• Applications: Estimating time of death, determining body position
• Time Estimation: Rigor mortis typically appears between 1-3 hours post-mortem, peaks within 8-12 hours and disappears in 24 - 48 hours.

Signs of Death (Livor Mortis)

• Livor Mortis: Bluish-red discoloration of dependent portions of the body due to pooling of blood from gravitational forces.
• Appearance: The discoloration appears 1-3 hours post-mortem. The color intensity peaks after 8-12 hours.
• Applications: Assisting in understanding the position of the body, the time of death, and in certain cases, can point to the cause.
• Time Estimation: Discoloration usually appears within 1-3 hours of death, reaches maximum intensity in 8-12 hours, and begins to fade after about another 8 more hours - 12 - 24 hours after the death.

Signs of Death (Algor Mortis)

• Algor Mortis: Cooling of the body after death.
• Factors Affecting Algor Mortis: The ambient temperature plays a major role; therefore this is not a reliable marker.
• Time Estimation: Difficult to estimate time of death.

Signs of Death (Decomposition)

• Decomposition: The breakdown of body tissues caused by microorganisms.
• Factors Affecting Decomposition: Environment, temperature, humidity, and bacterial growth.
• Stages: Stages from early decomposition to advanced decomposition.
• Applications: Estimating the time of death, Determining if any external factors led to the decomposition process
• Time Estimation: Decomposition usually appears after death, after multiple stages, anywhere from days, to multiple years.

Additional Facts

• Autopsy: A post-mortem examination conducted to determine the cause of death
• Factors impacting various processes Various factors like ambient temperature influence how quickly or shortly these signs of death appear
• Importance: Thorough examination and knowledge of the progression and appearances of these signs can help clarify the circumstances surrounding a death by forensic medical experts

Forensic Significance

• Forensic Applications: These signs are crucial for estimating the time of death and understanding the circumstances surrounding death and are all analyzed for forensic implications

تتناول هذه المحاضرة في الطب الشرعي مفهوم الموت وعلاماته المختلفة. سيتم استعراض العمليات الحيوية التي تستمر بعد الوفاة، مثل النشاط العضلي ووظائف الكبد. كما سنستعرض أيضًا ظاهرة تصلب الموت ومدتها وتأثيرها على الجسم.