16 Immersion Death

Question 1

Signs of immersion

Answer 1

1. Skin maceration: washer women skins (wrinkled, pale, sodden)
2. Cutis anserina (goosebumps): related to cold water
3. Deposition of mud, coal slurry, oil, silt or sand (may be present on or in the body as well other arterfacts such as seaweed, water weed, algae, small aquatic animal life. sand may be found deep in respiratory passages and stomach)

Question 2

Autopsy sx of drowning

Answer 2

• froth in the air passage (usually white, pink or red tinged): oedema consists of proteinaceous exudate and surfactant mixed with water
• overinflation of lungs: texture pale and crepitant ‘emphysema aquosum’
• stomach: water, sand, weed
• haemorrhage into middle ears and into temporal bone (+ signs of drowning but not specific)

Question 3

Chemical changes in drowning

Answer 3

• haemodilution in freshwater drowning
• electrolyte shift in saltwater drowning

Question 4

Diatom (basic principle)

Answer 4

• live person drown in water containing diatoms (microscopic algae with silicaceous exoskeleton), diatoms will penetrate the alveolar walls and carry to distant target organs such ad brain, kidney, liver, bone marrow
• after autopsy, sample of these organs digested with strong acid to dissolve the soft tissue leaving highly resistant diatom skeleton to be identified under microscope.
• If death not due to drowning), absence of heartbeat prevent circulation of diatom to distant organs
• shefllfish has vast quantities of diatoms
• do diatom test as an indicative aid