Thanatology

Dr. Cahyono Kaelan. Sp.PA(K) , DFM.

Dept. Forensic and Medicolegal

Fac of Medicine Unhas
Makassar
Definition

Thanatos = Death
Logos = Science
Thanatology = A science to learn on the
causes and changes after death
Purposes of Thanatology
1. to define a diagnosis of death on scene
2. to estimate a time of death (Alibi)
3. to predict of cause of death
4. to estimate the way of death
( Manner of death)
 Death

By definition : What is death?

1. Death whe the soul seperates with
body
2. Brain death
3. Comatous
4. Decrease of consiousness
5. Aware = life = living creature
Definition on death
Man = 2 demention
Man = Individu + cellular composition

1.Individu = Living of vital organ ( heart, lung

and brain) as one unit which marked by the
oxygen comsumption.
Death = Stop of permanently vital organs (Heart
stops beating, lung and brain stop consume
oxygen.
Death definition ( cont, )

2.Cellular death: lack of oxygen leads cellaular

death e.g brain cells 5 minutes, kidney 30 min.
3. Brain death = Stop function of brain,
eventhough other organ is still alive ( IDA, 1989)
and followed as time of death by Indonesian
doctors.
(lanjutan)
Mati Suri =Proses vital berfungsi dan
turun sampai batas yang paling rendah
untuk mempertahankan kehidupan.
Sehingga secra klinik tampak seperti
mati.
Misal pada : Acute Heart Failure,
tenggelam,
Kedinginan,
anaestesi yang terlalu dalam,
disengat listrik
Disambar petir
To define of death
Stop heart beat and lung movement 10
mins.
But the presence of Respirator
definition is not valid anymore (people
could breath)
Therefore now consensus that Brain
death is death
How to define the brain death?
How to examine ( to do)
Respons terhadap komando sekitar / rangsang
menghilang
Refleks pupil (-)
Refleks Cornea (-)
Refleks cough and swalow (-)
Ice stimuli to ear (vestibulo-okularis) (-)
When respirator was stopped no spontan
movement o the chest / lungs
EEG flattened
# 3 doctors to define (Anaesthesist & Neurologist &
Simple tests perform on death

Auscultation ( no heart beat) and no air

way in to larynx
Winslow test: glass of water put on the
chest or stomach move or stable ,
moving breathiing life.
Mirror or glassa specracles test: put in
front of the nose damp blurred life
Feather test ; move or not in front of the
nostriles
Changes after death

Face skin
Muscle relaxation
Eyes
Body temperature
Livor mortis
Rigor mortis
Putrefection
Skin Face

Face pale , no blood flow into skin.

Except CO intoxcication was red Cherry
red how ? Within a car in the garage
suicide or Fire flame discoutique
Muscle relaxation

Muscle relaxation muscle toneR reduce

and jaw open down open mouth
Relaxation of mucles of the face looks
younger than his /her real age.
Pupil delatation (midriasis)
Muscle relaxation from heart, neck muscle
and face muscle become loss of tone
(flaccidity) / weak
Change of the eyes
No sight blank like death fish eyes
No reflexes on light reflex and corneal
reflexes (-)
Blood vessel in retina damage in 10
minutes
Cornea dry and opalescen
Tension of eye ball decreased and soften
Changes on Body temperature
Decreased of body temperature
Except a bacterial infection before death
Depend on local temperature
Depend on medium (water> quicker than air)
Body composition : thin > than fat man
Clothing thick or thin?
All could be estimated when die within less than
12 hours
Livor Mortis
Gravitation force attrack blood and pooling within the
lower parts of the body within the vessels
Occured within 1-2 hrs after death
Supine position located on back of the body , neck,
back, buttock and extremities, also on the opposite way
could occured
> 4 hours blood and capiler damaged and livor mortis
becomes permanent
>12 hours the livor mortis will not change anymore even
change the position
Color of livor mortis :(CO Cherry red, K.Chlorat
Brownish, Asfiksia blackish)
Rigor Mortis =Postmortem Rigidity
ATP ADP + LA
Start from smalll muscle (face, palpebra,
jaw muscles) whic less glicogen
Also from the heart neck face ext.
Sup. and down to body and lower end
Occured 6 hours after death
By 12 hours all body complete rigid
12- 36 hours keep rigid
>48 hrs relaxation ( secunder relaxation)
Putrefaction

Otolisis=Microbakteria
Coecum region
Gas putrefaction develop
Occured after 48 hrs
Greenish in color right lower end of the
belly to blueish in color
Gas H2S + Hb Sulf-Met-Hb
Sign of Putrefaction (decay)
Color greeenish in lower end belly
Delatation and widening of superficial veins
Face swollen, Distended abdomen ( gas),
Scrotum and vulva swollen, Skin wreak
Flow out bloody liquid from nose and mouth
Tongue and eye protudes
Chest and abdominal wall could blast (gas)
Nail and hair easy to pull off
Internal organ like brain, gravid uterus, guts
becomes decay and like porriged. But kidney,
bladder and prostat and uterus relatif stabil.
Special circumstances

1.Mummification (mummy)
Dry air, cool, low humidity and no bacterial contamination

Corpuse shrinkage and smaller

Dry and adrker in color
Skin attached to the bone
No odor (Odorless)
Anatomical complete
Saponifikasi
Fat fatty acid + alkalis (Base)
Salt Salt (soap) that not dissolve in
water. Like soap
Occured at fatty tissues (face, omentum)
White in color
Sting odor (like old coconut oil)

Fat (fatty acid) + alkalin Salt

(soap)
Summary
1.Vital Signs and Comatous
2. Brain death
3. Signs of death
4. Post mortem changes ( early to
advances)
5. Purposes of Thanatology
THANK YOU