Finding the source of bleeding for massive hemorrhage can be challenging. The sentinel clot sign can help to identify a source of bleeding in a postmortem CT scan.
On CT scan the sentinel clot is an area of dense, clotted blood. It is located near a site of hemorrhage.
Blood hemorrhaging from a vessel tends to separate with red blood cells settling. It also may remain liquid. On CT scan this can be differentiated from a dense clot.
The classic situation is intra-peritoneal hemorrhage. But a sentinel clot can be seen at many sites of hemorrhage.
Another method for localization of bleeding is to inject contrast material and to see where it comes out.
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