Postmortem Caloricity
INTRODUCTION:
- It is a condition where there is rise of body temperature after death instead of cooling of body.
- Although the process of postmortem glycogenolysis, which occurs in all bodies soon after death, can produce up to 140 calories which can rise the body temperature by about 2 degrees, yet the temperature shows further rise in all such conditions, e.g. asphyxial death, poisoning due to alcohol, dhatura and strychnine, brain-stem hemorrhage, deaths due to infectious diseases, etc.
ETIOLOGY:
- Violent muscular contractions before death
- Tetanus
- Strychnine poisoning
- Seizures
- Asphyxial deaths – strangulation
- Septicemic deaths – cholera and other infections
- Death due to temperature regulation disorders
- Sunstroke
- Pontine haemorrhage
- Postmortem glycogenolysis
- Normal phenomenon; increase of up to 2ºC.
Causes of death
- Septicemia:Infectious disease; Bacteremia; Tetanus, rabies, yellow fever;
- Asphyxia;
- Severe convulsions:Tetanus;Strychnine;
- Hyperpyrexia at death:Heat stroke (sun stroke); Pontine haemorrhage High atmospheric temperature;
- Peritonitis, meningitis, nephritis;
- Alcohol poisoning.
Exam Important
- Postmortem caloricity is seen in Strychnine poisoning
- Postmortem caloricity is seen in death due to Sunstroke, Septicemia & Tetanus
- Postmortem caloricity is increased temp within 2 hours of death
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