Publikationsdatenbank

Determination of early post-mortem interval in swine via electrical muscle stimulation (2025)

Art

Poster

Autoren

Dinh, S. N. K. (WE 12)

Schenk, T. (WE 12)

Landmann, K. (WE 12)

Windgassen, M.

Oesterhelweg, L. (WE 12)

Mundhenk, L. (WE 12)

Kongress

5th Cutting Edge Pathology Congress 2024

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 28. – 31.08.2024

Quelle

Journal of comparative pathology

Bandzählung: 220

Seiten: 49

ISSN: 0021-9975

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021997525002130?via%3Dihub

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2025.03.182

Kontakt

Institut für Tierpathologie

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 15
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62450
pathologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Background: The early post-mortem interval (PMI) is classically estimated using post-mortem changes such as rigor mortis and livor mortis. However, this is often imprecise and further techniques are used in human forensic medicine to improve the determination. This study aimed to determine the early PMI through electrical muscle stimulation (EMS).

Materials & Methods: Four different groups of striated muscle (from the extraorbital eyelid, snout, cutaneous trunk and anal sphincter) of eight porcine carcasses with known time of death were stimulated using the electric stimulation device (MD95/2007 Funeralia®) consisting of puncture electrodes with 40V output. The time-dependent reaction to EMS was recorded and a grading system of the reaction was established for each muscle group.

Results: The muscle groups showed a time-dependent decrease in excitability. The complete loss of muscle reaction to EMS differed in time between the analysed muscle groups. The longest PMI with up to six hours was measurable in the muscle of the anal sphincter.

Conclusion: EMS appears to be a viable method to determine the early PMI up to 6 hours after death with a simple and ready-to-use device more precisely.