STUDY OF THE DIAGNOSTIC-VALUE OF STRONTIUM, CHLORIDE, HEMOGLOBIN AND DIATOMS IN IMMERSION CASES

Tests of haemoglobin (Hb), strontium (Sr) and chloride(Cl), as well as diatoms, toxicological and pathological studies were performed in bio logical samples from 133 immersion fatalities occurred since 1991 to 1 996 in central and northern Spain. Hb, Sr, and Cl where analyzed in bl ood samples where increasing decomposition could be demonstrated in mo st of the cases. The samples were frequently accompanied with well doc umented forensic reports, including autopsies findings and other circu mstances of the death, The goal of our study is to evaluate the differ ence of blood Sr concentration between the left and right side of the heart (LVSr-RVSr) as a marker of drowning. For this purpose, the cases investigated were classified in 'typical drowning' (TD) cases and 'at ypical drowning' (AD) cases. This last group was used as a control. Th e comparison of the LVSr-RVSr between TD and AD cases was highly signi ficant (P = 0.0002) in blood specimens extracted from cases occurred i n putative drowning media where Sr concentration was higher than 800 m u g/l. No significant differences were found comparing neither Cl nor Hb biventricular concentrations between TD and AD cases in blood sampl es extracted from bodies found in both fresh and seawater. (C) 1998 El sevier Science Ireland Ltd.