Application of Diatoms Quantitative Analysis in the Diagnosis of Drowning

To retrospectively analyze diatom test cases of corpses in water and discuss the value of quantitative analysis of diatoms in the diagnosis of drowning.

A total of 490 cases of water-related death were collected. They were divided into drowning group and postmortem immersion group according to the cause of death. Diatoms in lung, liver, kidney tissue and water sample were analyzed quantitatively by microwave digestion-vacuum filtration-automated scanning electron microscopy (MD-VF-Auto SEM) method. The ratios of content of diatoms in lung tissue and water sample (C_L/C_D) were calculated.

The results of diatom test for three organs (lung, liver and kidney) were all positive in 400 cases (85.5%); the content of diatom in lung, liver, kidney tissues, and water samples of drowning group were (113 235.9±317 868.1), (26.7±75.6), (23.3±52.2) and (12 113.3±21 760.0) cells/10 g, respectively; the species of diatom were (7.5±2.8), (2.6±1.9), (2.9±2.1) and (8.9±3.0) types, respectively; the C_L/C_D of drowning group and postmortem immersion group were (100.6±830.7) and (0.3±0.4), respectively.

Quantitative analysis of diatoms can provide supportive evidence for the diagnosis of drowning, and the parameter C_L/C_D can be introduced into the analysis to make a more accurate diagnosis of drowning.