This document discusses postmortem artifacts, which are changes that occur in the body after death and can mislead interpretations of medical findings. Artifacts are classified into several types, including those encountered during autopsy, from decomposition, caused by third parties, due to the environment, and other sources. Specific artifacts are described, such as hypostasis being mistaken for bruises, decompositional changes like maggots confusing gunshot wounds, and toxicological artifacts from issues with sample collection and analysis. Proper identification of artifacts is important to determine accurate causes and manners of death and avoid legal issues.

1. POSTMORTEM
ARTEFACTS

2. INTRODUCTION
POSTMORTEM ARTEFACTS ARE
CHANGES CAUSED IN BODY AFTER
DEATH THAT ARE LIKELY TO LEAD
MISINTERPRETATION OF MEDICALLY
SIGNIFICANT ANTEMORTEM
FINDINGS .
ARTEFACTS MEANS SOMETHING
THAT NOT REAL.
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3. CLASSIFICATION OF
ARTEFACTS
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POSTMORTEM ARTEFACTS CAN BE
CLASSIFIED AS-
1)ENCOUNTER DURING
POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION
2)ARTEFACTS OF DECOMPOSITION
3)THIRD PARTY ARTEFACTS
4)ARTEFACTS OF ENVIORNMENT
5)OTHER ARTEFACTS

4. ARTEFACT ENCOUNTER
DURING POSTEMORTEM
EXMN-
1.INJURY TO VISCERAL
ORGANS
2.FRACTURES OF SKULL
BONES
3HYOID AND THYROID
FRACTURES
4 OZING OF BLOOD FROM
NECK DURING AUTOPSY.
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5. ARTEFACTS DUE TO
HYPOSTASIS
LOCALISED HYPOSTASIS MAY BE MISTAKEN
AS BRUISES THEY APPEAR DUE TO CAPILLO
VENOUS DISTENTION. MOST OF TIME THEY
APPEAR AS BLUISH OR PURPLE COLOR.
THEY OCCUR DUE TO STOPAGE IN
CIRCULATION OF BLOOD.
EXM-HYPOSTASIS IN NAILS MAY GET
CONFUSE WITH CYANOSIS.
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6. DECOMPOSITION
ARTEFACTS
IT INVOLVES 2 PROCESS-
1)AUTOLYSIS-SELF DIGESTION OF
TISSUE BY RELEASING OF
CYTOPLASMIC ENZYMES AFTER
CELL DEATH.
2)PUTEREFECATION-DESTRUCTION
OF SOFT TISSUE BY BACTERIAL
ORGANISMS SHORTLY AFTER
DEATH.
IT MAY CAN BE -1)SOPANIFICATION
ARTEFACTS-
1)MAGGOTS- CONFUSE WITH
GUNSHOT WOUND.
2)GAS IN HEART AND BLOOD
VESSELS –EMBOLISM.
3)BLOOD STAINED FROTH FROM
MOUTH-HEAD INJURY

7. 1)MUMIFICATIOIN-DUE
TO EVAPORATION OF
WATER.
2)SAPONIFICATION-DUE
TO HYDROGENATION
OF PREXISTING FATS.

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9. THIRD PARTY ARTEFACTS
1)ANIMALS ,BIRDS ,INSECT
ACTIVITY .
2)EMERGENCYMEDICAL
TREATMENT AND SURGICAL
INTERVENTATION.
3)EMBALMING ARTEFACTS.
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10. ARTEFACTS DUE TO PM
CHANGES
1)RIGOR MORTIS- STATE OF
STIFFENING OF MUSCLES AND
SHORTENING OF MUSCLEB FIBRES.
WITHIN FIRST 36 HOURS .
2)HEAT STIFFENING MAY OCCUR AT
HIGHER TEMPERATURE.
3)COLD STIFFENING FROM EXPOSURE
TO COLD TEMPRATURE.

11. TOXICOLOGICAL
ARTEFACTS
1)FAULTY COLLECTION
TECHNIQUE
2)FAULTY PRESERVATION
TECHNIQUE.
3)TIME DELAYS IN SENDING AND
ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES
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Presentation title

12. ARTEFACTS DUE TO
HANDLING OF CADAVERS
1)DUE TO TRANSPORTATION .
2)FROM CARLESS HANDLING .
3)BRUSH ABRASION ONBACK BY
DRAGGING.
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13. CONDITIONS PRESERVING
THE BODY ARTEFACTS
1)EMBALING- IT IS TREATMENT OF
THE DEAD BODY WITH ANTISEPTICS
AND PRESERVATIVES TO PREVENT
PUTEREFECATTION AND PRESERVE
THE BODY.
2)BY ARTERIAL INJECTION
METHODS.

14. IMPORTANCE OF
ARTEFACTS
TO IDENTIFY-
1)CORRECT CAUSE OF DEATH
2)CORRECT MANNER OF DEATH
3)UNDUE SUSPICION OF
CRIMINAL INTERFERE
4)MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.
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15. THANK YOU
ATHARVA PATIL
24TH BATCH MBBS