ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 6

Cardiac Blood pH as a Possible Indicator of Postmortem Interval
Martin, BS
Doctoral candidate in toxicology, doctoral candidate in toxicology, research technician, and distinguished professor emeritus of toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, IN

Steup, DR
Doctoral candidate in toxicology, doctoral candidate in toxicology, research technician, and distinguished professor emeritus of toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, IN

Forney, RB
Doctoral candidate in toxicology, doctoral candidate in toxicology, research technician, and distinguished professor emeritus of toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, IN

Sawyer, WR
Doctoral candidate in toxicology, doctoral candidate in toxicology, research technician, and distinguished professor emeritus of toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, IN

(Received 24 September 1987; accepted 11 February 1988)

Abstract

Postmortem changes in the pH of blood and selected tissues in rats were evaluated at intervals ranging from 2 min to 96 h. Cardiac blood pH was significantly and reproducibly decreased in all groups at all postmortem intervals, independent of the method of sacrifice used. A preliminary study using cardiac blood obtained at autopsy from a limited number (n = 11) of human subjects demonstrated a significant negative correlation (r = −0.908, P < 0.01) between postmortem interval (range 2 to 20 h) and cardiac blood pH.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, postmortem interval, postmortem examinations, pH changes, thanatology, time of death, acidosis

Paper ID: JFS12588J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12588J
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