Forensic thanatology is aimed at studying the dynamics and stages of dying. One of the most important parts of this science is thanatogenesis, which determines the true causes and mechanisms of death, and also allows you to create a more perfect classification of the circumstances of a person's death.
The concept of death
Death is the cessation of life. It occurs as a result of the cessation of the functioning of all organs and is an irreversible process. As a result of the lack of oxygen, the cells of the body die, and the blood stops being ventilated. If cardiac arrest occurs, the blood flow ceases to perform its functions, which leads to tissue damage.
General concepts of thanatology
Thanatology is a science that reveals the patterns of dying. She also studies changes in organ function and tissue damage as a result of this process.
Forensic thanatology acts as part of the main science, considers the process of death and its consequences for the whole organism in the interests and purposes of the investigation or for examination.
During the transitionof a living organism to death, it experiences various terminal states: pre-agonal (with a lack of oxygen), terminal pause (sudden stop of the functions of the respiratory system), agonal and clinical death. The latter occurs as a result of cardiac arrest and cessation of breathing. The body finds itself between life and death, and with it all its metabolic processes fade away.
Since dying is natural at the end of a person's life in old age, forensic science considers cases of premature death caused by the influence of various environmental factors.
After clinical death comes biological death, which results in irreversible changes in the cerebral cortex. In hospital conditions, it is easier to make a conclusion about the onset of death than outside it, in the absence of special tools and devices. Representatives of the authorities often use the term "moment of death", which is regarded by forensic medicine as the exact time of its onset.
Signs of death
In order to establish the exact time of the end of life, it is necessary to know the signs of the onset of death, which are studied by thanatology. First of all, these are orienting: immobility, lack of pulse and breathing, pallor, complete absence of reactions to various types of influences.
There are also reliable signs: the temperature drops to 20°, Larcher spots appear, early and late cadaveric changes develop (appearance of spots, stiffness, rotting, and others).
Resuscitation andtransplant
Resuscitation measures are taken in order to save a person's life when the functions of the body lose their efficiency. At the same time, irreparable injuries and damage can be caused in the process due to carelessness or incompetence of doctors. Forensic thanatology is aimed at identifying the circumstances of death as a result of resuscitation, which makes it possible to assess the injuries and help further investigation. The task of the expert is to determine the severity of the injuries and their role in the process of dying.
The essence of transplantation is the transplantation of organs and tissues from one patient to another. The law stipulates that this event can be carried out only if there is no chance of saving the life and normalizing the he alth of the donor. With traumatic brain injuries, if there is no hope of saving a life, resuscitation can be carried out in order to preserve the remaining organs that can be used for transplantation. Thus, the bone marrow can return to normal functioning within 4 hours, and the skin, bone tissue and tendons up to a day (in most cases 19-20 hours).
Fundamentals of thanatology determine the conditions and procedure for ongoing activities for transplantation and removal of organs, which should be carried out in public he alth institutions. Transplantation is carried out only with the consent of the two parties involved in the operation. Forbiddenthe use of the donor's biomaterial if during his lifetime he was against it or his relatives revealed their disagreement.
Organ removal is possible only with the permission of the head of the forensic medical examination department, and in the presence of the expert himself. At the same time, the procedure should not in any way lead to the disfigurement of the corpse.
Since thanatology is the doctrine of death, the organs and tissues seized during the examination can be used as educational and pedagogical material. This requires the permission of the forensic expert who examined the corpse.
Categories of death
The science of death considers only two categories of death:
- Violent. It occurs as a result of injury and mutilation of water by the influence of some kind of environmental factors. These can be mechanical effects, chemical, physical and others.
- Non-violent. Occurs under the influence of physiological processes, such as the onset of old age, fatal diseases or premature birth, as a result of which the fetus has no chance of survival.
Causes of violent and non-violent deaths
Violent death can occur for three reasons, according to science thanatology. It's murder, suicide, or an accident. The determination of which genus each case belongs to is carried out by forensic experts. At the same time, they examine the scene and collect evidence about the causes of death. Dataactions help confirm that life ended violently.
The second category includes sudden and sudden death. In the first case, the end of life occurs as a result of illness. In particular, in which the diagnosis was made, but there were no justified reasons for the onset of death. In the second case, death may occur from a disease that occurs without any symptoms.
Types of death
Thanatology defines the types of death depending on the factors leading to its occurrence. Thus, the impact of electric current and temperatures incompatible with survival, mechanical damage and asphyxia can be attributed to the violent end of life. Diseases of various organs with all sorts of complications leading to death can lead to sudden death.
Due to the fact that in the current conditions a large number of medicines are used and various types of operations are carried out, the identification of thanatogenesis is possible with a deep analysis and examination of the corpse during autopsy by a group of specialists.
