Which postmortem change describes settling of the blood due to gravity?

Which postmortem change describes settling of the blood due to gravity?

• A. Rigor Mortis
• B. Livor Mortis
• C. Tardieu Spots
• D. Cadaveric Spasm

Answer: (B)

After death the heart stops pumping, so blood no longer circulates and gravity pulls it to the lowest parts of the body. This pooling causes a purplish-red discoloration known as livor mortis (postmortem lividity). It first appears within an hour or so and becomes fixed after several hours; if the body is moved, the discolored areas will shift to reflect the new dependent parts, which helps in inferring position changes after death and estimating time since death. This is distinct from rigor mortis, which is the stiffening of muscles due to chemical changes in the tissues; from tardieu spots, which are tiny hemorrhages from capillary rupture in certain dying conditions; and from cadaveric spasm, an immediate, involuntary muscle contraction at death.

After death the heart stops pumping, so blood no longer circulates and gravity pulls it to the lowest parts of the body. This pooling causes a purplish-red discoloration known as livor mortis (postmortem lividity). It first appears within an hour or so and becomes fixed after several hours; if the body is moved, the discolored areas will shift to reflect the new dependent parts, which helps in inferring position changes after death and estimating time since death. This is distinct from rigor mortis, which is the stiffening of muscles due to chemical changes in the tissues; from tardieu spots, which are tiny hemorrhages from capillary rupture in certain dying conditions; and from cadaveric spasm, an immediate, involuntary muscle contraction at death.