UNATTENDED DEATH CLEANUP

Unattended deaths occur when a person dies in circumstances where their body is not discovered until sometime later. When unattended deaths occur, the body is typically in an advanced state of decomposition due to the length of time it has been unattended, leading to a variety of medical and social issues. Unattended deaths can occur for a variety of reasons such as murder, suicide, accident, natural causes, or other unknown causes.

The unattended death process begins with human biology. After death occurs, a number of physical changes take place that are cumulative and irreversible. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity will affect the rate and extent of these changes. As time passes after death, the body experiences autolysis (self-digestion) as cells break down and release enzymes into the tissues which eventually liquefy the tissues entirely. Simultaneously the organs begin to putrefy due to bacterial activity which results in gas production leading to bloating. These processes combined create a unique type of odor known as “death scent” which is distinct from any other odor found in nature and can be detected by trained cadaver dogs even after months or years have passed since death occurred.

Undiscovered Deaths

Other physical changes include mummification due to dehydration when conditions are dry or desiccation when conditions are wet. Rigor Mortis (the settling of blood) can also take place within minutes after death but eventually fades away over time and can provide clues about how long someone has been dead for if discovered early enough. In addition to physical changes, unattended deaths bring numerous medical concerns such as increased risk for disease transmission through contact with bodily fluids and tissue samples taken during autopsy examination or by wildlife scavengers who may feed on the deceased flesh if left unattended outdoors for long periods of time. 

Finally, unattended deaths lead to questions around emotional and psychological well-being for surviving family members who often find themselves unable to properly grieve due to lack of knowledge or awareness surrounding what has happened to their loved one(s). With proper education on unattended deaths, family members may be able to better understand and cope with what has taken place while also providing closure when possible by knowing what happened leading up to their loved one’s demise. 

Human decomposition is the process of unattended death in which a human body breaks down due to the natural processes that occur after death. Often referred to as postmortem decomposition, this process can be divided into two distinct stages—the early stage of autolysis, and the later stage of putrefaction.

Autolysis is when cell metabolism stops within minutes or hours after death due to an absence of oxygen and nutrients. During this stage, chemical reactions continue to take place within the cells, resulting in an increase in temperature and water loss. As a result, autolysis causes the skin to separate from muscle and fat tissue, ultimately leading to blisters forming on parts of the body exposed to the air. Autolysis also leads to organ liquefaction as fluids accumulate and tissues break down into a thick liquid substance.

Putrefaction is the second stage of human decomposition which occurs when bacteria begin breaking down organic matter in the body. This produces noxious gases such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, and allyl mercaptan which are responsible for causing foul odors associated with decay. Additionally, during this stage, enzymes break down proteins which cause discoloration of tissue through oxidation as well as softening skin layers due to bacterial action. Over time these bacteria will consume much of the remains until only bones remain intact. 

Stages of human decomposition

The rate at which human decomposition occurs depends upon a wide range of factors such as temperature or humidity levels, access to insects or scavengers, clothing or other objects covering parts of the body during death, any trauma that has occurred during death, and entomological factors such as type of insect or scavenger species present at death scene. For instance higher temperatures are known accelerate decay significantly while colder temperatures can slow it down considerably by causing freezing in certain areas (e.g., extremities). Similarly, more humid environments provide more favorable conditions for bacteria growth allowing them to break down organic matter faster than drier climates would support them doing so. 

Due to advances in forensic science and technology over time we have greater insight into this process today than ever before allowing us better understand how bodies change over time since unattended deaths commonly occur with no witnesses around who can provide accurate details terms regarding physical changes associated with human decomposition once it begins taking place after death has occurred.