Livor mortis refers to which finding?

Livor mortis refers to which finding?

• A. The decomposition of tissues after death.
• B. The pooling of blood on the side of the body closest to the ground due to gravity.
• C. The cooling of the corpse to ambient temperature.
• D. The stiffening of muscles.

Answer: (B)

Livor mortis is the pooling of blood in the parts of the body that are lowest under gravity after death, causing discoloration on surfaces that were in contact with a surface or ground. This occurs because blood settles in dependent areas and can help indicate the body’s position at death and during early postmortem intervals. It typically appears within minutes to hours after death and becomes fixed after several hours, depending on environmental conditions. The other options describe different postmortem changes: decomposition is tissue breakdown; cooling of the body to ambient temperature is algor mortis; and stiffening of muscles is rigor mortis.

Livor mortis is the pooling of blood in the parts of the body that are lowest under gravity after death, causing discoloration on surfaces that were in contact with a surface or ground. This occurs because blood settles in dependent areas and can help indicate the body’s position at death and during early postmortem intervals. It typically appears within minutes to hours after death and becomes fixed after several hours, depending on environmental conditions.

The other options describe different postmortem changes: decomposition is tissue breakdown; cooling of the body to ambient temperature is algor mortis; and stiffening of muscles is rigor mortis.