State of the issue in forensic diagnosis of drowning and determination of postmortem immersion time: a review

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Abstract

This review examines the current state of forensic diagnostics in drowning cases and the determination of postmortem immersion time. The analysis focuses on methods used to establish both the fact of drowning and the duration of body immersion in an aquatic environment. Specialized data on the diagnosis of drowning and the determination of postmortem immersion time were analyzed. A total of 73 sources were reviewed, including 20 Russian and 53 international publications.

In determining postmortem immersion time, the primary method remains the evaluation of skin maceration degree. However, additional approaches are also explored. For instance, it has been shown that hair mass stabilizes after a certain period of water exposure, which can serve as an indicator of immersion duration, though such analysis requires specialized laboratory equipment. Furthermore, the article reviews the temperature effect on the decomposition rate, which varies with environmental conditions. Histological and microbiological methods play an important role in refining the time a body spent in water, as well as in analyzing the species composition of algae and other microorganisms involved in postmortem tissue transformation.

In forensic practice, establishing the fact of drowning and estimating the duration of immersion require an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to enhance diagnostic accuracy and objectivity. However, the ambiguity in interpreting the results obtained using existing methods highlights the need for further improvement of traditional forensic examination approaches and techniques. The development and implementation of novel diagnostic technologies based on modern instrumental, molecular, and digital techniques remain highly relevant tasks.

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About the authors

Sergei V. Poltarev

Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, Moscow

Author for correspondence.
Email: poltarevsv@zdrav.mos.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0007-3745-4590

MD

Russian Federation, Moscow

Guzel H. Karataeva

Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, Moscow

Email: koshka-gu@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0004-6035-9485

MD

Russian Federation, Moscow

Sergey V. Shigeev

Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, Moscow

Email: shigeev@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2219-5315
SPIN-code: 3116-2928

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

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