Post-Mortem Wound
Definition
A wound inflicted after circulatory cessation. Lacks haemorrhage at the wound margin, lacks PMN infiltration, and shows reduced tissue retraction. May retain mechanical morphological features (abrasion collar, soot, stippling) that are independent of vitality. Distinguished from antemortem wound by gross and histological examination, provided the post-mortem interval has not produced confounding autolysis.
Related terms
- Bullet Embolism
- Intravascular migration of a projectile after vascular entry, carried by blood flow to a location remote from the entry wound. Presents at...
- Intermediate-Target Wound
- An entry wound produced by a bullet that has passed through an intervening object (window glass, plywood, body armour) before striking the...
- Ricochet Wound
- An entry wound produced by a bullet that has deflected from a hard surface before striking the victim. Characterised by a deformed...
- Staging
- Deliberate manipulation of a death scene to mislead forensic investigation. In firearms deaths, staging typically involves post-mortem wound infliction, weapon placement, or...
- Vital Reaction
- The suite of physiological responses to tissue injury that require a functioning cardiovascular and cellular metabolism to occur: haemorrhage, neutrophil infiltration, vasoactive...
Explained in
- Atypical Firearm Wounds and the Post-Mortem DistinctionA wound inflicted after circulatory cessation. Lacks haemorrhage at the wound margin, lacks PMN infiltration, and shows reduced tissue retraction. May retain m...