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Book

Postmortem Changes

Rutwik Shedge  1 , Kewal Krishan  2 , Varsha Warrier  3 , Tanuj Kanchan
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
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Book

Postmortem Changes

Rutwik Shedge et al.
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Excerpt

A body undergoes complex and intricate changes after death. These post mortem changes depend on a diverse range of variables. Factors such as the ambient temperature, season, and geographical location at which the body is found, the fat content of the body, sepsis/injuries, intoxication, presence of clothes/insulation over the body, etc. determine the rate at which post-mortem changes occur in a cadaver. Understanding the post mortem changes is imperative to estimate the time since death (TSD) or the post mortem interval (PMI). This chapter is written in with a view of explaining the various changes that occur in a human once they are dead, their time of onset, their rate, and the factors influencing them.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Rutwik Shedge declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Kewal Krishan declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Varsha Warrier declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Tanuj Kanchan declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

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