A novel approach, exploring subgingival temperature changes over time since death: An animal study

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Animal Physiology

Background:

• Accurate postmortem interval (PMI) estimation is vital in forensic investigations.
• Rectal temperature is a traditional method, but alternative sites are explored for reliability.
• The subgingival region's insulation properties suggest potential for temperature-based PMI assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate subgingival and rectal temperature changes before and after euthanasia in rats and rabbits.
• To compare subgingival temperature variations with rectal temperature for PMI estimation potential.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study with 8 animals (4 rats, 4 rabbits) was conducted.
• A specialized subgingival thermometer and a digital rectal thermometer were used.
• Temperature measurements were taken pre-euthanasia and 10 minutes post-euthanasia, followed by statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Subgingival temperature before euthanasia was statistically significant (P = 0.010).
• In rats, the correlation between subgingival and rectal temperatures decreased postmortem.
• Rabbits showed strengthened correlation postmortem, indicating species-specific thermal properties.

Conclusions:

• Both subgingival and rectal temperatures declined post-euthanasia.
• The study's small sample size limited statistical significance.
• Subgingival temperature warrants further investigation as a potential PMI estimation method.