Which of the following is a postmortem change?

• A. Algor Mortis
• B. Rigor Mortis
• C. Livor Mortis
• D. Cadaveric Spasm

Answer: (A)

Postmortem changes are the body’s alterations after death as it moves through the early stages of decomposition. Algor mortis is the cooling of the body after death because metabolic heat production stops and heat is lost to the surroundings. This temperature drop is the classic, readily observable postmortem change and is routinely used to help estimate time since death, with the rate depending on environmental conditions and the body’s characteristics.

Rigor mortis and livor mortis are also postmortem signs, but they describe different processes: rigor mortis is the gradual stiffening of muscles due to chemical changes in muscle fibers, and livor mortis is the settling of blood under gravity producing skin discoloration. Cadaveric spasm is an instantaneous or near-immediate muscular contraction that can occur at the moment of death in some cases, not a gradual postmortem change. Because algor mortis specifically denotes the postmortem cooling that follows death, it is the best choice as a postmortem change.