A 63 year old male is found dead in his apartment. There is blood everywhere. The scene is handled as a homicide. In addition to the blood, there is an abundance of empty beer cans, with many more unopened cans of beer found in the refrigerator. The decedent’s body is removed to the Morgue, and an autopsy performed. NO open wounds can be identified, despite a lengthy and increasingly desperate search for same. The only significant finding at autopsy is a paucity of blood in the body (specifically the vascular system), and obvious irregular changes to the liver consistent with cirrhosis. Investigation revealed that the decedent was, as was suspected, an alcoholic. The forensic pathologist is perplexed, but reluctantly authorizes release of the body, after taking blood, urine, and tissue specimens. About 2 hours later, the mortician calls the Coroner’s Office. The mortician had been present when the forensic pathologist and deputy coroner discussed the absence of anything to account for the blood loss from the decedent, nor the amount of blood found in the apartment. The mortician reports that when he was embalming the body, he noticed first a little blood and then a lot of embalming fluid running onto the foot-end of the embalming table. He examined the body, and noted what looked like an “apparently slight ulceration” on the dorsal aspect of the left leg. Anatomically and physiologically, what happened to the decedent? Physiologically, why did it happen?

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)

11th Edition

ISBN:9780134580999

Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...

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A 63 year old male is found dead in his apartment. There is blood everywhere. The scene is handled as a homicide. In addition to the blood, there is an abundance of empty beer cans, with many more unopened cans of beer found in the refrigerator. The decedent’s body is removed to the Morgue, and an autopsy performed. NO open wounds can be identified, despite a lengthy and increasingly desperate search for same. The only significant finding at autopsy is a paucity of blood in the body (specifically the vascular system), and obvious irregular changes to the liver consistent with cirrhosis. Investigation revealed that the decedent was, as was suspected, an alcoholic.

The forensic pathologist is perplexed, but reluctantly authorizes release of the body, after taking blood, urine, and tissue specimens. About 2 hours later, the mortician calls the Coroner’s Office. The mortician had been present when the forensic pathologist and deputy coroner discussed the absence of anything to account for the blood loss from the decedent, nor the amount of blood found in the apartment. The mortician reports that when he was embalming the body, he noticed first a little blood and then a lot of embalming fluid running onto the foot-end of the embalming table. He examined the body, and noted what looked like an “apparently slight ulceration” on the dorsal aspect of the left leg.