Citation

Zilg B. J. Forensic Sci. 2019; 64(3): 917-919.

Affiliation

Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine, Retzius väg 5, 171 65, Solna, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13932

PMID

30332499

Abstract

In the forensic literature, fatal dehydration predominantly concerns young children or incapacitated elderly persons. The postmortem diagnosis of fatal dehydration can be challenging to confirm, especially if the preceding circumstances are unknown. Here presented is a case of a 23-year-old man who died while held in an isolation cell during police custody for 18 days. Autopsy findings were unspecific, but vitreous fluid analysis showed 192 mmol/L sodium, 179 mmol/L chloride, 16 mmol/L potassium, 352 μmol/L (3.98 mg/dL) creatinine, and 81 mmol/L (226.9 mg/dL) urea nitrogen. Based on the findings and circumstances, the cause of death was determined as severe dehydration and manner of death accident. This case illustrates the importance of performing postmortem biochemistry.

© 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

fatal dehydration; forensic science; hypernatremia; postmortem biochemistry; vitreous sodium