Download 3_Post-Mortem Changes_part_2

Mummification
and Adipocere
The Optimum Conditions for
Mummification  dry &
warm climate.
Once the changes are complete, the body
will remain in that condition
indefinitely.
No growth of microorganisms.
How does
mummification occur?
The natural mummification
process usually happens in
extremely dry environments
that allow the fast dehydration
of tissues, simultaneously
slowing down or inhibiting the
decomposition by bacteria and
other microorganisms.
Mummification
Results from drying of tissues under conditions
of:
high environmental temperature
low humidity and
good ventilation
Mummified skin displays brownish discoloration and
parchment-like appearance
The time required for complete
mummification can’t be precisely stated
but it takes several weeks to months,
depending on the size of the body and
atmospheric conditions.
Medico-legal Importance
of Mummification
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Identification
Time estimation
Cause of Death
Can detect abnormal pathology
inside deep organs
Mummification may occur naturally or
may be achieved through artificial
methods
Mummification
 Age (it is more common in newborns)
 Gender (occurs more often in female)
 Cause of death (large hemorrhages, antemortem prolonged administration of
antibiotics
 Poisoning by arsenic and potassium cyanide
Other Factors
Adipocere
What is adipocere?
Also known as "grave wax," adipocere (from
the Latin, adipo for fat and cera for wax)
• is a grayish-white postmortem matter caused
fat decomposition
by
, which
results from hydrolysis and hydrogenation of
the lipids (fatty cells) that compose
subcutaneous fat tissues.
It occurs in :
• Subcutaneous fat of
the cheeks ,breast,
buttocks
• May occur in internal
organs such as liver ,
kidney & heart
Although decomposition of fatty tissues starts
almost immediately after death,
Adipocere formation time may vary from two
weeks to one or two months, on average, due
to several factors, such as temperature,
embalming and burial conditions, and
materials surrounding the corpse
Adipocere Formation
Develops in high humidity and high
environmental temperature
The bacteria Clostridia is a thought to be
responsible for adipocere formation
Converts unsaturated liquid fats to
saturated solid fats
Adipocere
 The subcutaneous adipose
tissue of corpses immersed
in cold water or kept in
plastic bags may undergo a
uniform adipocere formation
with the superficial layers of
skin slipping off.
 Adipocere may be dry,
brittle, & has an odor
mostly smells like ammonia.
Adipocere
Medicolegal Importance of
Adipocrere
• Preserves the body, which
can permit identification after
death.
• It may give conclusions about
the cause of death.
• It indicates that the time
interval since death was at
least weeks to several months.
Estimating the Time of Death
1. Core body temperature :
– The best and the most commonly used
– Mainly per rectum & by intra/sub-hepatic via an
abdominal stab.
2. Rigor mortis
3. Hypostasis/Livor Mortis :
– Complete after 6 hrs.
4. Biochemical investigation of the CSF :
– Requires the determination of the amino acid content
& lactic acid & non-protein nitrogen content of the
CSF.
4. Eye pressure:
Eye balls become softer, and less fluid pressure in the
first 3 hrs
5. Gastric emptying:
Depend on type of meal and emotional status.
6. The entomology of dead:
– Studying insects & their maggots which infest the
dead body for estimating the probable time of death.
– Different types of insects infest the dead body at
different stages after death occurs.
Gastric Emptying
• A light meal takes about 2 hours to pass through the
stomach
• A heavy meal takes about 6 hours to pass through
the stomach
– Carbohydrate rich meals empty in 2 to 4 hours
– Protein rich meals empty in 4 to 6 hours
– High Fat content meals empty in 6 to 8 hours
Gastric Contents
• Emptying rate changes due to
– Type of food
– Drug or medication intake
– Prior medical and emotional conditions
7. K+ levels :
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All electrolytes in the body change after death except K.
Na+/K+ pump stops working.
There is a linear relationship b/w K levels and time passed after
death up to 120 hrs.
Measured from vitreous humor
When there is high urea concentration, there is an electrolyte
imbalance and K can no longer be used as an indicator
This is the most infrequently used method to determine post
mortem interval.
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Many different opinions exist about its accuracy and ability to predict post
mortem interval.
Measurement of potassium levels in the eyes can vary greatly from left to right
eyes in the same corpse in ideal conditions.
From a medico-legal standpoint, this technique is frowned upon.
This is typically thought of as a “last ditch effort”