Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: October | Volume: 9 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 100-104
Observational Study to Estimate Time since Death on the Basis of Post-Mortem Staining, Rigor Mortis, Ocular and Putrefaction Changes in Dead Body
Saroj Kumar Ranjan1, Pinki Kumari1, Aman Kumar2, Sanjeev Kumar3, Bindu Kumari4
1Senior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, IGIMS, Patna
2Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, IGIMS, Patna
3Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, IGIMS, Patna
4Intern, Kurji Holy Family Hospital, Patna
Corresponding Author: Pinki Kumari
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Estimation of time since death is an integral part of medicolegal investigations. Postmortem lividity is a bluish or reddish-purple discoloration due to capillo-venous distension with blood, at the undersurface of the skin of the dependant parts of the body. Rigor mortis is a post-mortem change which leads to stiffening of the body muscles because of chemical changes in the myofibrils. Putrefaction is degradation of tissue by microorganism activity, such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa. We have planned the observational study to estimate time since death by assessing various changes in dead body such as Postmortem staining, Rigor mortis and Putrefaction.
Materials and Methods: This was prospective & observational study conducted on 140 dead bodies brought for post-mortem examination at IGIMS mortuary covering the central Patna area from September 2016 to March 2018.
Results: Post-mortem staining was well developed and fixed in all cases between 6 hours to 24 hours after death. All cases examined between 3 hours to 24 hours after death rigor mortis was found to present in almost whole body. Putrefaction colour changes were found after 24 hours to 36 hours in iliac fossae as green in 83.33% cases while after 36 hours the whole body was greenish black in 100% cases.
Conclusion: Present study concluded that Post-mortem staining, Rigor mortis, Ocular and Putrefaction changes in dead bodies are very important to estimate time since death and should be accurately noted in all medico legal cases.
Key words: Dead body, Post-mortem staining, Rigor mortis, Putrefaction changes