Which process describes pooling of blood after death?

• A. Algor mortis
• B. Lividity
• C. Rigor mortis
• D. Putrefaction

Answer: (B)

Lividity is the pooling of blood after death. When circulation stops, gravity pulls blood toward the lowest areas of the body, causing a purplish discoloration in those dependent regions as the blood settles in the small vessels of the skin. This change appears relatively soon after death and becomes fixed as the body’s tissues lose circulation and the blood becomes permanently settled in place. It’s different from algor mortis, which is the body’s cooling after death; from rigor mortis, which is the stiffening of muscles; and from putrefaction, which is the decomposition caused by bacteria. Lividity can help estimate time since death to some extent, since it appears early and then fixes within several hours under typical conditions.