[Determination of the time of death based on simultaneous measurement of brain and rectal temperatures]

Abstract

Analysis of the data on 21 corpses (brain and rectal temperatures which had been recorded simultaneously) yielded the following results and conclusions with regard to separate or combined computations of time of death: In the range of a standardized brain temperature (QH) 0.5 less than or equal to QH less than 1.0 (approx. up to 6.5 hpm), the most precise computations of time of death are achieved by exclusive application of brain temperature (standard deviation around dt = 0 "s0" = +/- 0.75; variation: 3.3 h). In the range of 0.3 less than or equal to QH less than 0.5 (approx. 6.5-10.5 hpm), combined computation of time of death balanced in the ratio of 6:4 (brain/rectum) is comparatively the most precise one (s0 = +/- 1.18; variation: 5 h). In the range of 0.07 less than or equal to QH less than 0.03 (beyond 10.5 hpm), the most precise computation of time of death (s0 = +/- 1.62; variation: 6.6 h) is achieved by exclusive application of rectal temperature. An "integrated" approach composed of both computation formulae, and thus possibly eliminating temperature in the occurrence of death, seems to be appropriate in the range of about 0.5 less than or equal to QH greater than 1.0 to avoid major errors in computing times of death, e.g., in cases involving fever in the occurrence of death (s0 = +/- 0.69; variation: 2.7 h).