One major difference between an ante mortem and a postmortem injury is the presence of signs of bleeding
• The injury received in the body prior or before death is called antemortem injury. These injuries may be a contributing factor in the death or even its cause. But, they may also have occurred many days/months or years ago.
• During an autopsy, the autopsy surgeon assesses the age of antemortem injuries, as well as distinguishing them from postmortem injuries—that is, injuries occurring after death. Postmortem injury can come from various sources such as deliberate mutilation of a body by a murderer following a homicide, predation by wild animals, or careless handling in the mortuary. Postmortem injuries can cause confusion over the manner and cause of death.
• One major difference between an antemortem and a postmortem injury is the presence of signs of bleeding. While the person is still alive, the blood is circulating and any injuries such as cuts or stabs will bleed. After death, the body usually does not bleed. However, there are exceptions. For instance, when a person drowns, their body usually floats face down and these results in the head becoming congested with blood.
• If the cadaver receives a head injury by colliding with blunt object/force, then there could be some evidence of bleeding. Scalp wounds sustained after death may also leak some blood. It can be especially difficult to distinguish between injuries inflicted in the very last few minutes of life and those caused postmortem. If the person collapses, there may be areas of laceration to the head and scalp which may be very hard to interpret.
• After death, the blood stays liquid in the vessels and no longer clots. Careless handling of a cadaver may produce some postmortem bruising which may need to be distinguished from antemortem bruising. Blood also tends to pool under gravity after death, causing a bruised appearance in the lower limbs, arms, hands, and feet known as lividity or discoloration. Some of the smaller vessels may even hemorrhage under the pressure of this pooled blood. These bruises could be confused with ante-mortem bruising.
• Recent research has focused on improved techniques for distinguishing between an antemortem and a postmortem injury by analyzing damaged tissue. Antemortem injuries show signs of inflammation, while postmortem injuries do not. Some research suggests that tissue from ante mortem injuries contains a chemical involved in inflammation leukotriene B4 (LTB4). Postmortem injuries were found to have no LTB4. This could help the doctor for assessment of the injuries more accurately.
(Contributed by Dr Sudhir Gupta)
• The injury received in the body prior or before death is called antemortem injury. These injuries may be a contributing factor in the death or even its cause. But, they may also have occurred many days/months or years ago.
• During an autopsy, the autopsy surgeon assesses the age of antemortem injuries, as well as distinguishing them from postmortem injuries—that is, injuries occurring after death. Postmortem injury can come from various sources such as deliberate mutilation of a body by a murderer following a homicide, predation by wild animals, or careless handling in the mortuary. Postmortem injuries can cause confusion over the manner and cause of death.
• One major difference between an antemortem and a postmortem injury is the presence of signs of bleeding. While the person is still alive, the blood is circulating and any injuries such as cuts or stabs will bleed. After death, the body usually does not bleed. However, there are exceptions. For instance, when a person drowns, their body usually floats face down and these results in the head becoming congested with blood.
• If the cadaver receives a head injury by colliding with blunt object/force, then there could be some evidence of bleeding. Scalp wounds sustained after death may also leak some blood. It can be especially difficult to distinguish between injuries inflicted in the very last few minutes of life and those caused postmortem. If the person collapses, there may be areas of laceration to the head and scalp which may be very hard to interpret.
• After death, the blood stays liquid in the vessels and no longer clots. Careless handling of a cadaver may produce some postmortem bruising which may need to be distinguished from antemortem bruising. Blood also tends to pool under gravity after death, causing a bruised appearance in the lower limbs, arms, hands, and feet known as lividity or discoloration. Some of the smaller vessels may even hemorrhage under the pressure of this pooled blood. These bruises could be confused with ante-mortem bruising.
• Recent research has focused on improved techniques for distinguishing between an antemortem and a postmortem injury by analyzing damaged tissue. Antemortem injuries show signs of inflammation, while postmortem injuries do not. Some research suggests that tissue from ante mortem injuries contains a chemical involved in inflammation leukotriene B4 (LTB4). Postmortem injuries were found to have no LTB4. This could help the doctor for assessment of the injuries more accurately.
(Contributed by Dr Sudhir Gupta)
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