Citation

Matoba K, Murakami M, Hayakawa A, Terazawa K. Leg. Med. (Elsevier) 2012; 14(3): 134-139.

Affiliation

Forensic Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Japanese Society of Legal Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.legalmed.2012.01.008

PMID

22364919

Abstract

We measured concentrations of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in pleural effusion from forensic autopsy cases to examine whether they were useful for a diagnosis of drowning. We analyzed a total of 51 cases (15 seawater drowning, 10 freshwater drowning, and 26 non-drowning), and determined the following reference values. If the concentration of Na or Cl is under 65mEq/l, a diagnosis of freshwater drowning can be made. If the concentration of Na is higher than 175mEq/l, or that of Cl is higher than 155mEq/l, or that of Ca is higher than 16mg/dl, or that of Mg is higher than 15mg/dl, a diagnosis of seawater drowning can be made. We recommend that pleural effusion from the left and the right thoracic cavities should be collected and analyzed separately because large differences may be observed between each side in the case of drowning. If one side corresponds to the reference value for seawater or freshwater drowning and the other side does not, a diagnosis of drowning can still be made according to the obtained value.

Language: en