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Algor mortis: an erroneous measurement following postmortem refrigeration
Khalil S Wardak1, Stephen J Cina
1Broward County Medical Examiner's Office and Trauma Services Division, 5301 SW 31st Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, USA. kwardak@broward.org
Abstract:
Determination of the time of death is one goal of medicolegal death investigations. Algor mortis has been used as a measure of the postmortem interval (PMI). We prospectively recorded the core temperatures of 19 adult bodies entering our morgue cooler and at 3, 6, and 9 h of refrigeration. We then compared the cooling rate with the calculated body mass index (BMI). For each individual body, the rate of cooling was fairly linear with no evidence of a plateau. There was fair to moderate correlation between the BMI and the cooling rate: cooling rate = -0.052 (BMI) + 3.52. The probability of linearity in any given case was 36%. Variables affecting this correlation included the presence and the layers of clothing and if the clothing was wet. Our data confirm that algor mortis is of very limited utility in determining the PMI in bodies that have been refrigerated.
Insights
Determining the time of death using body cooling (algor mortis) is unreliable after refrigeration. Body mass index (BMI) showed a moderate correlation with cooling rate, but clothing significantly impacted results, limiting its forensic utility.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Thanatology
- Postmortem Interval Estimation
Background:
- Accurate determination of the postmortem interval (PMI) is crucial in medicolegal death investigations.
- Algor mortis, the cooling of a body after death, is a commonly used indicator for PMI estimation.
- Factors influencing body cooling rates require further investigation for improved accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the utility of algor mortis in determining the postmortem interval (PMI) in refrigerated bodies.
- To assess the correlation between body cooling rates and body mass index (BMI).
- To identify variables that may affect the accuracy of algor mortis in PMI estimation.
Main Methods:
- Core body temperatures of 19 adult bodies were recorded upon entering a morgue cooler and at 3, 6, and 9 hours post-refrigeration.
- Cooling rates were calculated and compared with the body mass index (BMI) of each individual.
- The influence of clothing (presence, layers, wetness) on cooling rates was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Body cooling rates exhibited a fairly linear trend without a plateau during refrigeration.
- A fair to moderate correlation was observed between BMI and cooling rate (cooling rate = -0.052 (BMI) + 3.52).
- Clothing variables, including presence, layers, and wetness, significantly affected the cooling rate and correlation.
Conclusions:
- Algor mortis demonstrates very limited utility in determining the postmortem interval (PMI) for refrigerated bodies.
- While BMI shows some correlation with cooling rate, its predictive power is moderate and influenced by external factors.
- Forensic investigations should consider the limitations of algor mortis, especially in cases involving refrigerated remains.
