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Bodies Recovered From Water

  • Chapter
Forensic Pathology of Trauma

Part of the book series: Forensic Science and Medicine ((FSM))

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Abstract

Recovery of a body from water does not mean drowning. Other causes of death, including trauma, are possible. Drowning is a type of asphyxia that involves complex pathophysiological mechanisms, which contribute to death. Premorbid conditions (e.g., ischemic heart disease, epilepsy, ethanol intoxication) increase the risk of drowning. Despite the complexity of the drowning process, associated external and internal findings are few. The lack of specific signs and submersion artifacts can hinder the determination of the cause of death in a presumed drowning. Various drowning “tests” have been used to assist in this assessment. A bathtub death can be particularly challenging because all manners of death occur. A diver’s death, ironically, can be caused by the artificial air supply.

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(2007). Bodies Recovered From Water. In: Forensic Pathology of Trauma. Forensic Science and Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-138-3_5

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