[Rectal temperature-time of death nomogram: dependence of corrective factors of body weight in significant thermal insulating conditions]

Abstract

98 test coolings were made under various cooling conditions (moving air, two types of both clothing and covering) on dummies of real masses of 1, 3.3, 9.9, 24.5 and 33.4 kg resp. which cool under standard conditions (unclothed, uncovered, still air) like human bodies of 14, 33, 41, 83 and 104 kg resp. The results provide evidence on a nonlinear dependence of corrective factors of body weight upon the body weight. The dynamics of the dependence increases with the thickness of thermic isolation. Transferred to the use of the nomogram method on bodies, cooling conditions requiring corrective factors known by experience between 0.75 (moving air) and 1.3 (rather thin clothing/covering) can be used as in the past independent on the body weight. Only in higher corrective factors for thicker clothing/covering according to experience the dependence of corrective factors on the body weight must be taken into account in bodies of a very high or low body weight. Beside a simplified table a formula for computing is also given for that purpose.