Anthropometric weight estimation is less accurate than visual weight estimation in forensic postmortem cases in a...

Area of Science:

• Forensic Pathology
• Anthropometry
• Thanatology

Background:

• Accurate body weight estimation is crucial for post-mortem interval calculations using methods like the Henssge nomogram.
• Previous studies show healthcare professionals often inaccurately estimate body weight.
• Anthropometric measurements (e.g., arm, waist circumference) have shown promise in improving weight estimation accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if anthropometric weight estimation methods enhance accuracy compared to visual estimation in forensic pathology.
• To assess the applicability of anthropometric measurements for body weight estimation in a forensic context.

Main Methods:

• 199 Swiss cases analyzed for actual body weight, mid-arm circumference, waist circumference, and height before autopsy.
• Two forensic pathologists performed visual body weight estimations.
• Correlation and bias analyses were conducted for anthropometric and visual methods.

Main Results:

• Mid-arm circumference showed the strongest correlation with actual body weight (r=0.87).
• All tested anthropometric methods performed worse than previously described methods.
• Visual estimation by two pathologists was more accurate than anthropometric measurements in this population.

Conclusions:

• Visual estimation by experienced forensic pathologists outperformed anthropometric methods in this Swiss cohort.
• Current anthropometric methods require further refinement for forensic applications.
• Novel, globally applicable body weight estimation techniques are needed.