Byard Roger W
Forensic Science SA and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Medical School Nth, Frome Rd, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
J Forensic Sci. 2018 May;63(3):899-901. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13614. Epub 2017 Aug 15.
Background hypothesis: That bodies immersed in freshwater (rivers) may show greater changes of decomposition than bodies immersed in saltwater (sea). Fifty de-identified river drownings and 50 sea drownings were randomly selected from autopsy files at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia and assessed for decomposition.
The river cases consisted of 43 males and seven females (M:F 6:1); age range of 2-92 years (mean 46.8 years); decomposition-16/50 (32%); postmortem interval 1-14 days, average 3.8. The sea cases consisted of 36 males and 14 females (M:F 2.6:1); age range of 9-81 years (mean 50.7 years); decomposition-2/50 (4%) (p < 0.001%); postmortem interval 1-6 days, average 2.8. As decomposition reduces information obtained at autopsy, postmortem examination of deaths in rivers may be less informative than deaths that have occurred in the sea. The reasons for less decomposition in the sea include cooler temperatures, exposure to salt and shorter postmortem intervals.
背景假设：浸于淡水（河流）中的尸体可能比浸于咸水（海洋）中的尸体呈现出更大的腐败变化。从澳大利亚阿德莱德南澳大利亚法医科学部的尸检档案中随机选取50例身份不明的河流溺水死亡案例和50例海洋溺水死亡案例，并对其腐败情况进行评估。
河流案例中男性43例，女性7例（男:女为6:1）；年龄范围为2至92岁（平均46.8岁）；出现腐败的有16/50（32%）；死后间隔时间为1至14天，平均3.8天。海洋案例中男性36例，女性14例（男:女为2.6:1）；年龄范围为9至81岁（平均50.7岁）；出现腐败的有2/50（4%）（p<0.001%）；死后间隔时间为1至6天，平均2.8天。由于腐败会减少尸检时获得的信息，因此对河流中死亡案例的尸检可能不如对海洋中死亡案例的尸检信息量丰富。海洋中腐败较少的原因包括温度较低、接触盐分以及死后间隔时间较短。
