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Forensic investigation of submersion deaths
S A Papadodima1, S A Athanaselis, E Skliros
1Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Context:
The diagnosis of the cause and the establishment of the manner of death in submersion cases are routine challenge for forensic pathologists as it presents considerable diagnostic difficulties.
Objective:
To concisely review the main questions during a submersion death investigation and to give the respective documented answers.
Data Sources:
The search strategy included a literature search of PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar databases, as well as a review of the cited references by the identified studies and a hand search of relevant textbooks and reference works.
Conclusions:
A complete autopsy, histopathological examination and full toxicological screening are important to determine whether death indeed followed submersion in the water, or to see whether any natural disease or substance use have contributed or caused death. In ambiguous situations, the co-estimation of circumstantial evidence may be of invaluable importance toward the conclusion concerning the cause and the manner of death. The thorough forensic investigation of the submersion deaths not only serves the justice administration, but it also presents considerable benefits for the public health.
