[The effect of the duration of corpse immersion on the occurrence of selected morphological findings]

Abstract

The report presents a method of estimation the duration of corpse immersion based on fully developed morphological findings. The authors demonstrated that the duration of body immersion affects the occurrence of marked putrid color, separation of hair, the "washerwoman's skin" effect on the macerated fingertips, separation of fingernails, fimbriated separation of epidermis involving the feet, lack of blood in the heart ventricles and putrid encephalomalacia. The report further stated that the duration of immersion does not necessarily affect the occurrence of marbling, corpse distension, separation of epidermis from the body surface, detachment of fingernails from fingernail bed, fimbriated separation of epidermis involving the hand, the "washerwoman's skin" effect on the toes, detachment of toenails from toenail bed and the presence of over 500 ml of pleural putrefied "effusion".