Paulis Melad G, Hasan Eman I
From the Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2018 Sep;39(3):236-241. doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000407.
The diagnosis of drowning is still a difficult task in forensic science. Biochemical changes in different body fluids have been examined for the identification of drowning. However, none of them alone gives accurate results in the diagnosis of drowning and differentiation of saltwater and freshwater drowning. This study aimed to examine cerebrospinal fluid changes in drowned rabbits. Six groups of rabbits were used including immersed dead rabbits in freshwater or saltwater (as control groups), alive fully conscious rabbits drowned in freshwater and saltwater, and anesthetized rabbits drowned in freshwater and saltwater. Cerebrospinal fluid electrolytes except for potassium levels were significantly higher in rabbits drowned consciously in saltwater than their level in the control group. In rabbit drowned in freshwater, the examined electrolytes decreased significantly. In addition, urea, creatinine, uric acid, glucose, and tumor necrosis factor were different in cases of freshwater and saltwater drowning from those of control rabbits. Electrolytes and biochemical changes of unconscious rabbits drowned in water showed no significant difference from those of control rabbits. Cerebrospinal fluid examination in drowning gives promising results in the diagnosis of drowning. In addition, the differentiation between freshwater and saltwater drowning was possible.
在法医学中，溺水的诊断仍然是一项艰巨的任务。人们已经对不同体液中的生化变化进行了研究，以用于溺水的鉴定。然而，单独使用这些指标，在溺水诊断以及区分海水和淡水溺水方面均无法给出准确结果。本研究旨在检测溺水家兔的脑脊液变化。实验使用了六组家兔，包括将家兔浸入淡水或盐水中致死后的家兔（作为对照组）、清醒状态下完全溺死于淡水和盐水中的家兔，以及麻醉状态下溺死于淡水和盐水中的家兔。有意识地溺死于海水中的家兔，除钾离子水平外，脑脊液中的电解质水平显著高于对照组。溺死于淡水中的家兔，所检测的电解质水平显著降低。此外，淡水和海水溺水情况下的尿素、肌酐、尿酸、葡萄糖和肿瘤坏死因子与对照家兔不同。无意识状态下溺死于水中的家兔，其电解质和生化变化与对照家兔无显著差异。脑脊液检查在溺水诊断中显示出良好的结果。此外，区分淡水和海水溺水是可行的。
