Can death process or heart attack cause ear to go purple and drainage from the back of head/neck?

Question

I had the most unfortunate and tragic experience of seeing my son dead in the morgue. His ear was all dark purple and there was something draining from his neck/back of head. What was/causes that? He died in a mountain bike race from heart fibrillation believed to be caused by an extreme adrenalin rush. He did have a bicuspid heart. He appeared to have no other visible injury from collapse. I'm just trying to understand what little I can.

Answer 1

First of all, let me start by saying that I am deeply sorry for your loss. Losing a child is a torture no parent should ever know, and I wish you nothing but the best and brightest to come in life.

As to your question, after someone dies, their blood pools towards the ground. So what you saw is likely the cause of dependent lividity, or the blood pooling. As for drainage, it may very well be nothing more than a small wound that is allowing blood loss, post-mortem.

Besides that, I wouldn't stress yourself any more than is absolutely necessary. If an autopsy has been performed, then you likely have the correct answer. If not, you can certainly request one be performed to determine the exact cause of death.

But based upon what you've told me, extreme physical activity combined with a heart defect likely caused cardiac hypertrophy (an enlargement of the heart), and eventually led to Ventricullar Fibrillation, the most common form of cardiac arrest in the world.

Again, my deepest condolences, and I wish you all the best.

Answer 2

First, let me express my sincere condolences for the loss of your son.
I have been in a lot of "code blue" events where I work.
I believe your son must have had an injury to the back of his neck or head and is bruised really badly.
I imagine he had an autopsy. Look at the report and it will tell if he had a laceration or major bruising to the back side of his head.
A cardiac arrythmia can sometimes cause people to turn very cyanotic and purple, but after death, they usually turn very pale.
Your son may have injured himself on the mountain bike when his heart stopped.
Peace and Gods Mercy be with you.

Answer 3

The purple was Livor Mortis which is the post mortem pooling of blood to the dependent parts of the body (i.e the backside of the body)

The drainage was probably from the autopsy which was probably done...the incision is generally not sewn tight til after embalming.

Answer 4

wow i am so sorry, i hope your at peace with your loss and about your question it might just be because after a while (about a week) the body starts to explicitly decay internally and externally parts that do not have blood flowing in them start to decay faster him being dead(rip) has already stopped his blood flow and his ears already not having practically any blood in them have decayed faster making his ear appear purple or discolored. and as for the drainage...i have no idea. im sorry for your loss♥♥

Answer 5

I am so very sorry. And I am so sorry that you ever had to see your child that way. Nobody should be left with that memory.
Your child would not have had that injury from dying from the heart defect. You need to have an autopsy. It happened another way either pre/post mortim.
I am sorry.