Timing of wounds--an introductory review

The cause of death is sometimes less important than the reconstruction of events. Reconstruction becomes possible a) with careful examination of wounds and b) with their proper timing. The biochemical timing of injuries is now accurate enough to distinguish whether a wound was inflicted less than 5 minutes, 5-15 minutes or 15 minutes to several hours before death. The distinction between antemortem and postmortem wounds is possible, by using biochemical serotonin and histamine methods, after a survival time of as little as a few seconds or minutes. The methods of enzyme histochemistry act as a supplementary guide to the timing of wounds, especially of those inflicted 1-8 hours before death. Wounds inflicted 8 hours or more before death may be timed histologically. The histological examination of wounds is still absolutely indispensable in spite of the use of the sophisticated methods. In addition to histology and enzyme histochemistry, the biochemical determinations of histamine and serotonin are applicable to forensic autopsy material. This will be illustrated by several cases of homicide and road death.