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‫‪Medico-legal Aspects of‬‬
‫‪Death‬‬
‫د‪ /‬عبد المنعم جودة مدبولى‬
‫دكتوراة الطب الشرعي و السموم اإلكلينيكية‪,‬‬
‫مدرس الطب الشرعي و السموم اإلكلينيكية‪,‬‬
‫استشاري عالج التسمم بمستشفى بنها الجامعي‬
‫عضو لجنة مراجعة البرامج و المقررات بوحدة الجودة‬
Definition of death
Death
Dying (Agony)

Cessation of life in a previously living
organism…. .....‫تعريف جرائد‬

Permanent cessation of all vital
functions of body........‫التعريف الطبي‬

IsIsititan
anevent
eventororaaprocess?
process? …Explain?
Phases of death:
1.
2.
= death is a biological disintegration process:
SOMATIC (Recent death) ……..
CELLULAR ( Molecular ):
‫‪Diagnosis of death‬‬
‫‪Cellular‬‬
‫‪death‬‬
‫التغيرات الرمية‬
‫بعد الوفاة‬
‫‪Somatic‬‬
‫‪death‬‬
‫هوما يعتمد عليه فى‬
‫حساب توقت الوفاة‬
Diagnosis of somatic death:

Difficult …….….why?

Based on:
- Death like state
= Suspended animation
1- Inspection
2- Palpation
)
Signs of
respiratory
arrest:
Signs of
circulatory
arrest:
1- Auscultation
2- Palpation
3- ECG
Signs
of
CNS
arrest
Eye
(ocular
signs)
Diagnostic tests of Brain stem
function:
- Barany’s test (Vestibulo-ocular R.)
- Doll’s = Cantellis sign (Oculocephalic R.)
+
Other brain stem reflexes
Eye (ocular signs)
Diagnosis of cellular death:

Easy ………………………. Why ?????

Based on: (PM Changes)
1.
Algor mortis = Cooling of body
2.
Rigor mortis = Stiffness of body
3.
Livor mortis = Hypostasis = Skin
discoloration
Cause, Mechanism, Mode &
Manner of death
‫”هبوط حاد فى الدوره‬
”‫الدمويه و التنفسيه‬
Example:

A man presented with acute chest
pain. Ventricular Fibrillation was
diagnosed as a result of acute
Myocardial Infarction. Inspite of
supportive measures he died 2
hours later. Past history revealed
advanced coronary astheroma,
chronic rhomatic heart disease.
Cause of death:

Def:
Initial (disease, injury or intoxication)
that produce physiological
disarrangement ending in death.




Example:
Viral infection,
Gunshot injury
Head trauma.
Mechanism of death:
 Def:
- Physiological disarrangement produced by
cause ending in death.


1.
2.
Example:
- Hemorrhage, shock, infarction, embolism.
N.B.:
A cause of death may have several mechanisms….
(explain).
A mechanism of death may result from several
causes … (explain).
Mode of death:
 Def:
End result of any cause and mechanism
of death.
Types:

1.
2.
3.
Heart failure
Respiratory failure
CNS failure
Remember Def. of death ???????????
Manner of death:

Def:
- How cause of death came about………..

Types:
NB:
1- A cause of death may have several manners….......
2- Manner of death is an opinion based on:
- circumstances
- autopsy
- lab. analysis
3- Cause of death may be a disease and manner may be
homicide ………………………….
4- classification of death as homicide is function of
………………………………
5- but, classification of death as murder is function of
…………………..
6- the term homicide is not synonymous with murder.