Putrefaction (4-10 days after death) – Autolysis occurs and gases (odor) and discoloration starts. Black putrefaction (10-20 days after death) – exposed skin turns black, bloating collapses and fluids are released from the body.
24-72 hours after death — the internal organs decompose. 3-5 days after death — the body starts to bloat and blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose. 8-10 days after death — the body turns from green to red as the blood decomposes and the organs in the abdomen accumulate gas.
What Happens One Hour After Death? At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax, a state called primary flaccidity . Eyelids lose their tension, the pupils dilate, the jaw might fall open, and the body's joints and limbs are flexible.
Postmortem purging where putrefactive body fluids become forced out of body orifices is observable during this stage of decomposition. The detachment of hair or hair sloughing and black discoloration of ruptured skin are seen.
Purge fluid is decomposition fluid that may exude from the oral and nasal passages as well as other body cavities (see the image below). Postmortem purge fluid exudes from the oral and nasal passages; no traumatic injuries were uncovered at autopsy.
In the last days of a person's life, secretions (fluid) might build up in the airways as they become too weak to cough and clear them. This causes a gurgling or rattling sound when the person breathes in and out and is sometimes called 'the death rattle'.
It's common for secretions to build up in the lungs of people who are nearing death. The dying person usually doesn't have enough strength left to cough and clear the fluids that continue to be produced by the lungs. Gradually these secretions collect.
Decomposition begins several minutes after death with a process called autolysis, or self-digestion. Soon after the heart stops beating, cells become deprived of oxygen, and their acidity increases as the toxic by-products of chemical reactions begin to accumulate inside them.
As the blood pools, patches appear on the skin within 30 minutes of death. About two to four hours postmortem, these patches join up, creating large dark purplish areas towards the bottom of the body and lightening the skin elsewhere. This may be less apparent on darker skin. This process is called livor mortis.
When someone dies there are several stages a body goes through as it decomposes over the first 24 to 48 hours. These stages assist medical examiners in determining how long a body has been dead. The three stages of decomposition are livor mortis, algor mortis, and rigor mortis.
The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.
An accurate time of death also can help rule out possible suspects who may have been somewhere else when the death occurred and a more general time range could create a larger window for someone's alibi. This information can be used in court to establish a case.
For approximately the first 3 hours after death the body will be flaccid (soft) and warm. After about 3-8 hours is starts to stiffen, and from approximately 8-36 hours it will be stiff and cold. The body becomes stiff because of a range of chemical changes in the muscle fibres after death.
For the first few minutes of the postmortem period, brain cells may survive. The heart can keep beating without its blood supply. A healthy liver continues breaking down alcohol. And if a technician strikes your thigh above the kneecap, your leg likely kicks, just as it did at your last reflex test with a physician.
Visions and Hallucinations
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common. These visions are considered normal. The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.
Thus, immediate post-mortem changes are dubbed as the “signs or indications of death.” Immediate changes include insensibility, loss of voluntary movements, cessation of respiration, cessation of circulation, and cessation of nervous system functions.
Livor, rigor, and algor mortis
This is due to the loss of blood circulation as the heart stops beating. Goff explains, “[T]he blood begins to settle, by gravity, to the lowest portions of the body,” causing the skin to become discolored.
Of these, with obvious mortal damage to the body, the textbook conclusive signs of death clear to a lay person are: algor mortis, rigor mortis, livor mortis, and putrefaction.
— Giving food and fluids by artificial means (e.g., intravenously) does not usually prolong life or improve its quality. — Providing food and fluids by artificial means may, in fact, increase distressing symptoms such as shortness of breath, respiratory congestion, restlessness, nausea and vomiting.
Drop in Body Temperature and Blood Pressure
Body temperature can go down by a degree or more as death nears. Blood pressure will also decrease, contributing to reduced blood flow to the hands, feet, nose, and lips. You may notice the patient's skin turning pale, bluish, or mottled.
Active dying is the final phase of the dying process. While the pre-active stage lasts for about three weeks, the active stage of dying lasts roughly three days. By definition, actively dying patients are very close to death, and exhibit many signs and symptoms of near-death.
Terminal agitation is typically seen during the hours or days before death and can be distressing and overwhelming for caregivers.
As a patient nears death, it is common for their breathing patterns to change. These end-of-life breathing patterns can happen very quickly, or it can occur over many hours or even days. This is a normal part of the dying process as the body begins to slowly shut down.
Grief is a natural human experience, and crying is the ultimate healer. We cry at the death of those we know and love as an expression of our grief. Tears can transform suffering and help us pick up the pieces to move forward in our sadness.