What is the term for the escape of blood serum from an intravascular to an extra vascular location immediately before death?

The term for the escape of blood serum from an intravascular to an extravascular location immediately before death is known as agonal edema. This condition occurs as the body undergoes physiological changes during the dying process, which may result in increased permeability of the vascular walls. As blood passes through these vessels, serum can leak out into the surrounding tissues, causing swelling.

This phenomenon is particularly relevant in the context of the dying process, as it can be observed in patients who are near death, indicating the body's struggle to maintain its physiological functions. Understanding agonal edema is important for professionals in mortuary science, as it helps in the assessment of the physical state of a body prior to postmortem examination.

Other terms presented, such as hypotension, generally refer to low blood pressure and do not directly involve serum movement or the body's immediate pre-death changes. Death throes describe the physical reactions and spasms during the final moments of life and are not related to serum escape. Rigor mortis refers to the stiffening of muscles after death and occurs after the body has already died, rather than immediately before.