Postmortem Changes and the Postmortem Interval

Merck, Melinda D.; Miller, Doris M.

doi:10.1002/9781118704738.ch14

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This information, together with retrospective temperature data, can then assist a qualified person to estimate a most probable PMI and a range for its minimum and maximum. As a general rule, the longer the PMI, the broader the range of the estimate [56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Estimating the Postmortem Interval of Wild Boar Carcasses

Probst

Gethmann

Amendt

et al. 2020

Veterinary Sciences

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Knowledge on the postmortem interval (PMI) of wild boar (Sus scrofa) carcasses is crucial in the event of an outbreak of African swine fever in a wild boar population. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the decomposition process of this species in different microhabitats is necessary. We describe the decomposition process of carcasses exposed in cages. Trial 1 compared a wild boar and a domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) under similar conditions; Trial 2 was performed with three wild boar piglets in the sunlight, shade, or in a wallow, and Trial 3 with two adult wild boar in the sun or shade. The wild boar decomposed more slowly than the domestic pig, which shows that standards derived from forensic studies on domestic pigs are not directly applicable to wild boar. The carcasses exposed to the sun decomposed faster than those in the shade did, and the decomposition of the carcass in the wallow took longest. To assess the state of decomposition, we adapted an existing total body scoring system originally developed for humans. Based on our studies, we propose a checklist tailored to wild boar carcasses found in the field that includes the most important information for a reliable PMI estimation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Estimating the Postmortem Interval of Wild Boar Carcasses

Probst

Gethmann

Amendt

et al. 2020

Veterinary Sciences

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“…Exposed surface remains have generally been estimated to decompose 2 times faster than submerged remains and 8 times faster than buried remains. 56 Scavenger damage to carcasses has also been shown to significantly affect decomposition and the estimation of PMI. One study showed that wolf damage to deer carcasses resulted in an increased rate of decomposition, with consumption and movement of the carcass, reduction in carcass size, and an altered succession of insects.…”

Section: Decompositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, as the actual PMI increases, the accuracy and precision of the estimate decrease. 56 The most widely used method for the estimation of PMI in case work is the temperature method based on the rate of body cooling. Even though such methods have been in wide use in the workup of human cases for decades, the accuracy of these methods is disappointingly low.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Postmortem Changes in Animal Carcasses and Estimation of the Postmortem Interval

Brooks

2016

Vet Pathol

139

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A thorough understanding of the physical and chemical changes that occur in the body after death is critical for accurate interpretation of gross and microscopic pathology at autopsy. Furthermore, knowledge of the postmortem processes and the factors that affect them will aid in the estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI). The estimation of the PMI is important in many human and animal death investigations. Despite many decades of research, accuracy in estimation of the time of death has not significantly improved, and no single method can be reliably used to accurately estimate the time of death. Great care should be taken when formulating such an estimate, for it is dependent on multiple circumstantial and environmental factors, and the accuracy and precision of the estimate decrease as the PMI increases. The majority of the research in the field has been conducted on human bodies, but many relevant conclusions may be drawn regarding the expected postmortem changes in animals and the estimation of the PMI. The veterinary pathologist must use great caution when attempting to extrapolate data and apply formulas designed for use in humans. Methods reviewed include gross changes, microscopic changes, temperature-based methods, postmortem chemistry, molecular methods, microbial assay, ocular changes, radiography, entomology, and others. Although only several of these methods are currently practical for use in the workup of cases, it is expected that future research will result in improved techniques with enhanced accuracy in the estimation of the PMI, which will benefit both human and veterinary forensic investigations.

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“…In the study of Erlandsson and Munro (2007), it is reported that the rectal temperature of dogs involved in the study reached ambient temperature by 24-48 hours after death with a uniform pattern over the first 10 hours, after which the reliability decreased significantly. The application of methods for TOD determination suggested by Shapiro (1965) and by DiMaio and DiMaio (2001) on the basis of an average cooling rate of 1.5°F (0.83°C) per hour were mentioned also by Merck and Miller (2013). Animal research, however, has shown that the temperature plateau effect is not consistently observed in animal carcasses, and thus the average rate of cooling may differ from that observed in studies of human bodies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of carcass cooling rates using nomograms - a pilot study

Vargova¹,

Takáčová²,

Bodnarova³

2019

Vet. Med. - Czech

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Knowing the time of death of animals can be helpful for the forensic determination of death due to cruelty. We aimed to determine the time of death of companion animal carcasses, euthanised at an outpatient’s department (Small Animal Clinic) of the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice. The reasons for euthanasia included age of animals, medical state or incurable disease which affected the quality of life. Animal carcasses (33 bodies) were divided into seven groups according to their weight, species and environmental conditions into which they were placed, which were chosen so as to imitate real conditions under which dead animals could be found. We continually measured body temperature until it dropped down to ambient temperature. The post-mortem cooling curve revealed dependencies related to the temperature drop, the weight of carcasses, the place where animals rested and the internal and external environment. Results from the cooling process and obtained time of death may be deduced from a nomogram in field practice.

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Postmortem Changes and the Postmortem Interval

Cited by 8 publications

References 22 publications

Estimating the Postmortem Interval of Wild Boar Carcasses

Estimating the Postmortem Interval of Wild Boar Carcasses

Postmortem Changes in Animal Carcasses and Estimation of the Postmortem Interval

Determination of carcass cooling rates using nomograms - a pilot study

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