The biochemical changes in pericardial fluid after death. An investigation of the relationship between the time since death and the rise or fall in electrolyte and enzyme concentrations and their possible usefulness in determining the time of death.

This paper reports the biochemical changes that occur in pericardial fluid after death. Significant changes in relation to the time since death occurred in potassium, sodium, phosphate, protein and several commonly measured enzymes. The variation in individual results at similar times since death would limit the use of pericardial fluid biochemistry in determining the time of death.