mechanism of death

mechanism of death

Forensic medicine '…the process that causes one or more vital organs or organ systems to fail when a fatal disease, injury, abnormality, or chemical insult occurs; it is the functional–physiologic or structural change that makes independent life no longer possible after a lethal event has occurred Examples Hemorrhage, hypovolemic shock, acidosis, alkalosis, asystole, V fib, respiratory depression and paralysis, cardiac tamponade, sepsis with profound bacterial toxemia, etc; MODs are divided into terminal events and nonspecific physiological–functional derangements. Cf Immediate cause of death, Underlying cause of death.