Which postmortem change is described by surface evaporation, air movement effects, ambient temperature, and serum gravitation?

Which postmortem change is described by surface evaporation, air movement effects, ambient temperature, and serum gravitation?

• A. Dehydration
• B. Imbibition
• C. Hypostasis
• D. Agglutination

Answer: (A)

Postmortem dehydration is the drying of body fluids after death, driven by fluid loss through the surface. The factors listed—surface evaporation, air movement, and ambient temperature—directly affect how fast water escapes from the body: evaporation from exposed skin and tissues speeds up when air is flowing over the body, and warmer temperatures accelerate this drying process. Serum gravitation reflects how fluids within the body can move toward dependent surfaces and the exterior over time, contributing to overall moisture loss and surface drying. That combination of environmental conditions and fluid movement is what leads to dehydration after death. In contrast, hypostasis is the pooling of blood in dependent parts (livor mortis), imbibition is the uptake or movement of fluids into tissues, and agglutination is not a postmortem change in this context.

Postmortem dehydration is the drying of body fluids after death, driven by fluid loss through the surface. The factors listed—surface evaporation, air movement, and ambient temperature—directly affect how fast water escapes from the body: evaporation from exposed skin and tissues speeds up when air is flowing over the body, and warmer temperatures accelerate this drying process. Serum gravitation reflects how fluids within the body can move toward dependent surfaces and the exterior over time, contributing to overall moisture loss and surface drying. That combination of environmental conditions and fluid movement is what leads to dehydration after death. In contrast, hypostasis is the pooling of blood in dependent parts (livor mortis), imbibition is the uptake or movement of fluids into tissues, and agglutination is not a postmortem change in this context.