Problems of Forensic Sciences 2005 Vol. 63 (LXIII) 299-305
STUDY ON THE LEVEL OF POST-MORTEM BLOOD HYDRATION IN THE LIGHT OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC RESEARCH IN KRAKOW
Paweł PAPIERZ, Jarosław BERENT, Stefan SZRAM
Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University, Łódź
Streszczenie
The aim of the research was to ascertain whether there is a correlation between the time elapsed from moment of death to post-mortem examination and the level of blood hydration, as well to determine the influence of the change in degree of hydration on ethyl alcohol concentration. Blood samples for analysis were collected during post-mortem examinations carried out at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Łódź. Samples were taken from bodies that did not have clear symptoms of decomposition and whose date of death was known. 70 cases were selected for research, for which concentration of alcohol in blood was at least 0.1‰. The level of hydration was determined for each of them, an organoleptic evaluation of consistency was carried out and information contained in post-mortem examination records was used.
The collected material was stored in tightly sealed plastic containers at a temperature of +4°C. The level of alcohol in samples was determined by the gas chromatography method and confirmed by the enzymatic method. The level of hydration of blood samples was between 64% and 88%. The average was 75%, and only in a few samples did it exceed 80%. Samples with a 73% hydration level were most often encountered amongst all analysed samples. Most often, hydration of blood was significantly lower than 80%, which is explained by post-mortem migration of water from the vascular bed. The performed research indicated in most cases a significant decrease in hydration level a short time after death and a decrease in concentration of ethanol contained in this fluid. However, the study showed a lack of correlation between the level of blood hydration and the time elapsed from the moment of death to the post-mortem examination. The authors of this paper also concluded that the high level of hydration, significantly exceeding the average level determined for live persons, could be caused by intravenous liquids administered to hospitalised persons before death. The performed research also allowed us to conclude that determination of water in post-mortem material is important in all cases, even when organoleptic examinations do not reveal distinct concentrating (thickening) or dilution of blood
Słowa kluczowe
Hydration degree; Blood; Ethyl alcohol.