Legal Medicine
Volume 5, Issue 1 , Pages 20-26 , March 2003

Postmortem lung weight in drownings: a comparison with acute asphyxiation and cardiac death

  • Bao-Li Zhu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +81-6-6645-3767; fax: +81-6-6634-3871
    • ,
  • Li Quan

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • ,
  • Dong-Ri Li

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • ,
  • Mari Taniguchi

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • ,
  • Yasunobu Kamikodai

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • ,
  • Kohei Tsuda

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • ,
  • Masaki Q Fujita

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • ,
  • Katsuji Nishi

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Setatsukinowa, Ootsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan
    • ,
  • Tsutomu Tsuji

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera 811-1, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan
    • ,
  • Hitoshi Maeda

      Affiliations

    • Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
    • Osaka Medical Examiner's Office, Bambacho 1-6, Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-0007, Japan

Received 16 August 2002 ,Revised 30 October 2002 ,Accepted 20 November 2002.

References 

  1. Knight B. Immersion deaths. Forensic pathology. London: Edward Arnold; 1991;
  2. Cooke CT. Drowning. In:  Masson JK editors. The pathology of trauma. London: Edward Arnold; 1993;p. 214–226
  3. DiMaio VJ. Homicidal asphyxia. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2000;21:1–4
  4. Collins KA, Nichols CA. A decade of pediatric homicide: a retrospective study at the Medical University of South Carolina. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1999;20:169–172
  5. Pollanen MS. Diatoms and homicide. Forensic Sci Int. 1998;91:29–34
  6. Schmidt P, Madea B. Homicide in the bathtub. Forensic Sci Int. 1995;72:135–146
  7. Jeanmonod R, Staub C, Mermillod B. The reliability of cardiac haemodilution as a diagnostic test of drowning. Forensic Sci Int. 1992;52:171–178
  8. Copeland AR. Homicidal drowning. Forensic Sci Int. 1986;31:247–252
  9. Ludes B, Coste M, Tracqui A, Mangin P. Continuous river monitoring of the diatoms in the diagnosis of drowning. J Forensic Sci. 1996;41:425–428
  10. Zhu BL, Ishida K, Quan L, Li DR, Taniguchi M, Fujita MQ, et al. Pulmonary immunohistochemistry and serum levels of a surfactant-associated protein A in fatal drowning. Legal Med. 2002;4:1–6
  11. Morild I. Pleural effusion in drowning. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1995;16:253–256
  12. Byard RW, Houldsworth G, James RA, Gilbert JD. Characteristic features of suicidal drownings: a 20-year study. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2001;22:134–138
  13. Azparren JE, Ortega A, Bueno H, Andreu M. Blood strontium concentration related to the length of the agonal period in seawater drowning cases. Forensic Sci Int. 2000;108:51–56
  14. Modell JH, Davis JH. Electrolyte changes in human drowning victims. Anesthesiology. 1969;30:414–420
  15. Hurlimann J, Feer P, Elber F, iederberger K, Dirnhofer R, Wyler D. Diatom detection in the diagnosis of death by drowning. Int J Legal Med. 2000;114:6–14
  16. Ludes B, Coste M, North N, Doray S, Tracqui A, Kintz P. Diatom analysis in victim's tissues as an indicator of the site of drowning. Int J Legal Med. 1999;112:163–166
  17. Azparren JE, Vallejo G, Reyes E, Herranz A, Sancho M. Study of the diagnostic value of strontium, chloride, haemoglobin and diatoms in immersion cases. Forensic Sci Int. 1998;91:123–132
  18. Fornes P, Pepin G, Heudes D, Lecomte D. Diagnosis of drowning by combined computer-assisted histomorphometry of lungs with blood strontium determination. J Forensic Sci. 1998;43:772–776
  19. Betz P, Nerlich A, Penning R, Eisenmenger W. Alveolar macrophages and the diagnosis of drowning. Forensic Sci Int. 1993;62:217–224
  20. Qu J, Wang E. A study on the diagnosis of drowning by examination of lung chlorophyll(a) of planktons with a spectrofluorophotometer. Forensic Sci Int. 1992;53:149–155
  21. Chen CY, Deng ZK, Zhu JZ. The significance of detecting serum fluorine level in the diagnosis of drowning. Forensic Sci Int. 1990;46:289–294
  22. Farmer JG, Benomran F, Watson AA, Harland WA. Magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium in post-mortem vitreous humour from humans. Forensic Sci Int. 1985;27:1–13
  23. Coutselinis A, Boukis D. The estimation of Mg2+ concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (C.S.F.) as a method of drowning diagnosis in sea water. Forensic Sci. 1976;7:109–111
  24. Sturner WQ, Balko A, Sullivan J. Magnesium and other electrolytes in bovine eyeballs immersed in sea water and other fluids. Forensic Sci. 1976;8:139–150
  25. Rammer L, Gerdin B. Dilution of blood in fresh water drowning: Post-mortem determination of osmolarity and electrolytes in blood, cerebrospinal fluid and vitreous humor. Forensic Sci. 1976;8:229–234
  26. Spitz WU, Silverman BA. Histochemical changes in experimental drowning, pulmonary edema and asphyxia. J Forensic Med. 1969;16:79–85
  27. Fisher IL. Chloride determination of heart blood. Its use for the identification of death caused by drowning, A short review of 202 cases in the last 7 years with reference to a few special cases. J Forensic Med. 1967;14:108–112
  28. Zhu BL, Ishida K, Quan L, Fujita MQ, Maeda H. Immunohistochemistry of pulmonary surfactant apoprotein A in forensic autopsy: reassessment in relation to the causes of death. Forensic Sci Int. 2000;113:193–197
  29. Ishida K, Zhu BL, Quan L, Fujita MQ, Maeda H. Surfactant-associated protein A levels in cadaveric sera with reference to the cause of death. Forensic Sci Int. 2000;109:125–133
  30. Zhu BL, Ishida K, Quan L, Taniguchi M, Oritani S, Li DR, et al. Postmortem serum uric acid and creatinine levels in relation to the causes of death. Forensic Sci Int. 2002;125:59–66
  31. Kringsholm B, Filskov A, Kock K. Autopsied cases of drowning in Denmark, 1987–1989. Forensic Sci Int. 1991;52:85–92
  32. Copeland AR. An assessment of lung weights in drowning cases. The Metro Dade County experience from 1978 to 1982. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1985;6:301–304
  33. Grandmaison GL, Clairand I, Durigon M. Organ weight in 684 adult autopsies: new tables for a caucasoid population. Forensic Sci Int. 2001;119:149–154
  34. Giammona ST, Modell JH. Drowning by total immersion. Am J Dis Child. 1967;114:612–616
  35. Terazawa K, Haga K. The role of pleural effusion in drowning. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1996;17:173–174

PII: S1344-6223(02)00172-4

Legal Medicine
Volume 5, Issue 1 , Pages 20-26 , March 2003

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution