In this study we conducted a retrospective analysis of forensic documentation on examination of human corpses. Material and methods. Examinations of the human corpses who died nonviolently, aged >18 years, were included in the analysis. The study included 745 examinations conducted during 2018–2019. Cases of death, accompanied by massive blood loss, as well as examinations undiagnosed because of putrid changes, were excluded from the study. In order to analyze the postmortem interval assessing criteria, we reviewed experts' reports, protocols of on–scene examination of corpse, police protocols, and acts of taking corpses by on–duty personnel in morgue. Thus, information on sex, age, and forensic diagnosis, time interval from the moment of death to the examination of the corpse, the available cadaveric changes and the environmental features at the place of detection of the corpse were included. Results and discussion. The average time from death to the examination of the corpse at the scene was 6 hours 27 minutes; until taking corpses by on–duty personnel in morgue it was 9 hours 10 minutes. Place of detection of the corpse: in the premises – 492 cases (82.3%), on the street – 86 cases (14.4%), the other places – 20 cases (3.3%). The report of the inspection of the corpse at the place of its identification was provided by police in 487 cases (81.4%); corpse changes were described in 479 cases (80.1%). Forensic medical experts were asked to determine the postmortem interval, in the decision on the appointment of forensic examination, in 493 cases (82.5%). Ambient temperature was measured in 297 cases (49.7%) at the place of detection of the corpse. The average livor mortis recovery time on examination of corpse at the site of its detection was 19.6 seconds. The average time from death to the autopsy was 79 hours 21 minutes in the 745 forensic examinations. In view of this, it is necessary to introduce methods for postmortem interval determination for such term. In order to estimate postmortem interval, the dynamometry method was used in most cases, so that was not possible to estimate postmortem interval precisely enough, due to the influence of various factors. Appropriate measurements at the place of detection of the corpse were not always available at the place of detection of the corpse. Putrefactive cadaveric changes were present in more than half of the cases, which obviously make the use of dynamometry in autopsy impractical and require the development of new techniques. Conclusion. We defined a potential criterion that had reliable correlation dependence with the postmortem interval, which, upon further thorough analysis, could contribute to a more accurate postmortem interval determination. This potential criterion was the ‘Degree of severity of postmortem changes in the internal organs’ (the presence of autolytic changes in one or more of the following organs: brain, pituitary gland, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, adrenal glands, pancreas, prostate, uterus) could be further researched and put into practice of forensic experts both as an additional criterion to existing methods and as a separate study.
Keywords: forensic examination, post–mortem interval, thanatology, content analysis
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