الفهرس 
MethodologyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The current study was performed to throw light on the use of new methods to evaluate the post mortem interval as determination of the postmortem interval (PMI) is of great importance in both criminal and civil cases as it is one of the most difficult problems in the forensic pathology, and accuracy is impossible and recently it acquires great importance for the prompt harvesting of organ transplantation purposes and for the legality of discontinuation of life supporting equipment .
This study was focusing on all aspects of several sophisticated methods in the hope of finding a reliable means of estimation of the postmortem interval human rectal, , cranial, ear, and sub-hepatic temperature have been used and estimated as they give the most reliable results , we preferred temperature changes of the inner core, because the decline is slower and more regular , outer ear temperature and was also used to determine temperature changes of the brain .
we evaluated 100 cases from the cases presented to the greater Cairo Morgue. In the period from 1st of January 2001 to end of June 2004 with known PMI. The cases were evaluated according to the following Parameters: age, Gender of deceased , Place , cause of death mean DROP of rectal and ear temperature , degree, time of beginning and time of completion of hypostasis .
We measured the temperature and color changes, report and analyze them . These changes are routinely reported in protocols and are the most commonly used in postmortem timing.
As regards mean DROP pf temperature we found that almost half the cases had average DROP of 0.5 - <1°C/ hour .
As regards place of death, the majority of cases died at hospital and at home had average mean DROP of temperature.
As regards cause of death, we found that the majority of cases died from asphyxia showed slow rate of cooling .
As regards atmospheric temperature, it was found that the lower the atmospheric temperature the higher the rate of cooling .
As regards time of beginning of hypostasis, it was found that the majority of cases had a beginning time of hypostasis of 2 hours.
As regards time of beginning of hypostasis and atmospheric temperature, we found that the lower the atmospheric temperature the slower the development of hypostasis.
As regards time of completion of hypostasis, we found that in relation to cause of death, the majority of cases died due to hemorrhage had prolonged completion time while all cases died from asphyxia showed minimal completion time While correlating time of completion of hypostasis with age and sex of deceased or place of death we found no regular pattern or characteristic correlation.
As regards a time of completion of hypostasis in relation to the cause of death , we found that the majority of cases died due to hemorrhage had prolonged time while all cases died from asphyxia showed a short time for hypostasis to be completed . On the other hand, other causes of death didn’t show patterned correlation with time of completion of hypostasis.
Parikh (1996 ) stated that lividity is fully developed and fixed in about 6-8 hours , while Tracqui (2000 ) detected the time of 12 - 15 hours for hypostasis to be fixed in general , but the time course of it exhibits considerable inter subject variability .
We found that the lower the atmospheric temperature the slower of hypostasis and the prolonged time of its completion , on the other hand , there is no correlation between the time of completed hypostasis and the age or sex of deceased or the site of death .
The relation between a degree of hypostasis and the different factors showed that almost all cases with pale hypostasis were died from trauma and hemorrhage or pathological causes. This is due to loss of blood in the first case which reduces the amount remained in the body that settled under the effect of gravity .
In the second case , the pathological conditions may be associated with anemia or making blood more coagulated which prevents its easy gravitation. It was also found that all cases died from asphyxia had prominent hypostasis, due to low oxygen content of blood and its increased fluidity.
This agrees with what Parikh (1992) who determined that hypostasis in severe anemias and deaths from hemorrhage, and in lobar pneumonia and other conditions where blood coagulates rapidly, lividity was less obvious. On the other hand, in deaths from asphyxia, in which the blood is chiefly venous and may not rapidly coagulated, the hypostasis is intensely developed, while Knight (1996) stated that many natural deaths from coronary on other disease have markedly dark hypostasis.
When we studied the means ± standard deviation of temperature of ear and rectum according to the age group among we found that there is no significant relation between them .
When we studied the means ± standard deviation of temperature of ear and rectum at different times among the studied cases, we found that there is no significant relation .
When we studied the means± standard deviation of temperature of ear and rectum according atmospheric temperature among the studied cases, we found that it is highly significant .
When we studied the means ± standard deviation of the DROP of ear and rectum temperature of according to the site of death among the studied cases , we found that there is no significant relation them .
When we studied the means ± standard deviation of temperature of ear and rectum and the cause of death among the studied cases , we found that there is no significant relation .
When we studied the means ± standard deviation of the DROP of ear and rectum temperature at different times among the studied cases , we found that there is no significant relation between them , the sensitivity of measuring the DROP of ear temperature after death in determination of post mortem interval is less than that of the DROP of rectal temperature , so this measure must not be used alone in determination of post mortem interval but with many other confirmatory tests .
Conclusion and recommendations,
postmortem interval (PMI) is one of the most difficult problems in the forensic pathology, and accuracy is impossible . It can be determined by the aid of post mortem changes as fall in temperature and hypostasis but as it was affected by many factors which were described so we can not accurately determine it by the use one measure but we can suggest it by correlation of all data offered to us, such as history , cause of death , site of death , age gender of victim etc .
Evaluation of physiological processes with established starting time or progress rate and cessation at death (e.g. presence of gastric contents as affected by time of digestion and emptying time .biochemical composition of the body fluids ) is very useful in determination of the postmortem interval So careful evaluation must be done .
biochemical examination on the synovial fluid and vitreous humor giving different biochemical parameters is very useful in determination of the postmortem interval so we must examine it .
The DROP of ear and rectal temperature at different times has no significant relation and the sensitivity of measuring the DROP of ear temperature after death in determination of post mortem interval is less than that of the DROP of rectal temperature , so this measure must not be used alone in determination of post mortem interval but with many other confirmatory tests as evaluation of physiological processes and biochemical examination on the synovial fluid and vitreous humor .
Most recently , the application of MR spectroscopy in the context of the “Virtopsy”-project used as an objective and quantitative determination of the time since death of human bodies. It is principally bases on the same physical background as MR imaging and - in a clinical context – can be performed on the same diagnostic system. In contrast to MRI where morphological information is gained, MR spectroscopy yields metabolic information, e.g., allows to study metabolites non-invasively in a predefined region in vivo as well as during the decomposition process post mortem. so it must be studied well to reach an accurate method determination of the postmortem interval.