Veterinary Forensic Pathology

Abstract

Determining the cause of death in animals recovered from bodies of water, swimming pools, or other water-containing vessels is challenging. Animals recovered from water may or may not have drowned. The diagnosis of drowning is usually one of exclusion, requiring information from the crime scene, recovery scene, the medical history or reliable witness accounts. While there are characteristic macroscopic and microscopic lesions of drowning, none are specific and are dependent on the volume and tonicity of the drowning medium. Beyond interpreting the postmortem findings, the court may ask pathologists to comment on the behavioral and welfare implications of drowning. This requires an understanding of the drowning process, which is a complex series of sequential, concurrent, and overlapping cardiorespiratory reflexes, electrolyte and blood gas abnormalities, aspiration, physical exhaustion, and breathlessness eventually culminating in death. This review addresses the mechanisms, lesions, and diagnostic issues associated with drowning in nonaquatic companion animals.

Diagnosis of Drowning and the Value of the Diatom Test in Veterinary Forensic Pathology

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) defines drowning as a “process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid” (1). The diagnosis of drowning is reported in the literature as one of the most difficult in the field of human forensic pathology (2, 3). Although drowning mechanisms and the associated injuries have been described extensively in the human medical literature, this diagnosis remains a difficult one to confirm (3).…”

“…The diagnosis of drowning is reported in the literature as one of the most difficult in the field of human forensic pathology (2, 3). Although drowning mechanisms and the associated injuries have been described extensively in the human medical literature, this diagnosis remains a difficult one to confirm (3). Indeed, a wide range of information is required to issue a diagnosis of drowning in human forensic pathology, such as information about the clinical history of the victim, crime scene analysis, testimony and physical evidence, microscopic and histological findings, and ancillary test results (3).…”

“…Although drowning mechanisms and the associated injuries have been described extensively in the human medical literature, this diagnosis remains a difficult one to confirm (3). Indeed, a wide range of information is required to issue a diagnosis of drowning in human forensic pathology, such as information about the clinical history of the victim, crime scene analysis, testimony and physical evidence, microscopic and histological findings, and ancillary test results (3). In drowned bodies, the most common lesions reported in the literature are pulmonary congestion, pulmonary oedema and pulmonary hemorrhage, foam in the trachea, mouth and nasal cavity, right ventricular distention and drowning medium into the stomach (3–6).…”

Utilización de signos inespecíficos en el diagnóstico de asfixia por sumersión. Caso y Revisión Bibliográfica

“…Schilling y Bartollini 13 proponen que actualmente la patofisiología de la sumersión es definida de manera diferente, ellos proponen que cuando la vía aérea de la víctima está bajo la superficie del líquido, inicialmente la víctima trata de contener la respiración, seguidamente los esfuerzos respiratorios involuntarios evolucionan, comenzando con las contracciones diafragmáticas, alternativamente, el líquido ingresa a la faringe a través de la nariz. En cualquier caso, hay menor aspiración, causando muy a menudo laringoespasmo reflejo-mediado, por tanto, la respiración no es posible durante este período, y se desarrolla hipoxia, hipercapnia y acidosis.…”

Eternally Vulnerable: The Pathology of Abuse in Domestic Animals

“…Neglect of animals is failure to provide animals with the necessary food, water, shelter, and veterinary care (15,18,32). Cases of neglect can affect one, several, or even hundreds of animals.…”