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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: In this study we wanted to evaluate the gross appearance and presence of foreign bodies in air passages and lung tissues in 100 selected cases of drowning brought for autopsy to department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College Kottayam.
Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted among 100 cases in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Kottayam.
Results: The most common classical feature of ante mortem drowning - fine froth in mouth and nostrils with or without blood stain was found in 33% of cases. Bluish discoloration of finger nails - a classical feature of asphyxia death - was found in 90% cases of the study subjects and the remaining cases were decomposed to the grade that such a finding could not be made out. Conjunctival congestion seen in 79% of subjects and the rest were decomposed to make out such a demarcation. Presence of foreign bodies in air passages by naked eye examination alone was found in only 25% of cases which was consistent with the finding of visualizing foreign bodies in distal bronchioles & alveoli which turned out to be 22%. Froth in mouth and nostrils was found in 54% cases which shows that this particular finding itself helps in the diagnosis of ante-mortem drowning to a high extend.
Conclusion: The well known classical pathognomonic feature of ante mortem drowning - Cadaveric spasm with materials pertaining to the media of drowning is extremely rare. Among body cavities showing fluid suggestive of ante-mortem drowning, supra sellar tursica (sphenoidsinus) showed the maximum with 34% while hemorrhage in petrous temporal bone was found in 30% cases and fluid in chest cavity was found in 21% cases. Fluid in stomach was found in 71% cases but it is well known that this particular finding does not have much role in diagnosis of ante-mortem drowning.
Keywords: Medico-Legal Aspects, Gross Findings, Drowning.
Language: en |