Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2021 Jun;17(2):350-353. doi: 10.1007/s12024-020-00347-9. Epub 2021 Jan 6.
Identification of the deceased is a critical responsibility of the death investigation system. If visual identification is inconclusive, tattoos can provide secondary identification but may be difficult to visualize at various stages of decomposition. We describe the case of a 35-year-old male found submerged underwater by police after swimming at a pier. The decedent was last seen earlier that day. Signs of immersion including sodden hands, feet, and clothing, wet sand on the torso and legs, and heavy edematous legs were observed. The post-mortem blood alcohol concentration was 427 mg/100 mL; signs of recent traumatic injury were not present. The immediate cause of death was drowning as a consequence of ethanol intoxication. When pulled from the water, the decedent's shoulder tattoo was not visible. Cross-polarized lighting and infrared photography visualized the tattoo to help confirm identity. These photographic methods were compared to hydrogen peroxide and optical coherence tomography techniques and described in detail to assist with future cases.
确认死者身份是死亡调查系统的一项重要责任。如果肉眼识别不明确，纹身可以提供二次识别，但在尸体分解的各个阶段可能难以观察到。我们描述了一起 35 岁男性在码头游泳后被警方发现溺死在水下的案例。死者最后一次被看到是在当天早些时候。观察到的溺水迹象包括湿漉漉的手、脚和衣服，躯干和腿部有湿沙，腿部严重水肿。尸检血液中的酒精浓度为 427mg/100mL；没有近期创伤的迹象。死亡的直接原因是乙醇中毒导致的溺水。当从水中捞出死者时，其肩部纹身无法看到。交叉偏振光和红外摄影技术可以使纹身可视化，以帮助确认身份。这些摄影方法与过氧化氢和光相干断层扫描技术进行了比较，并详细描述，以协助未来的案例。
