Case of Fatal Starvation : Can Stable Isotope Analysis Serve to Support Morphological Diagnosis and Approximate the Length of Starvation?
| Autor: | Davor Mayer, Polona Vreča, Marija Baković |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
2. Zero hunger
Starvation Forensic pathology medicine.medical_specialty Stable isotope ratio Segmental analysis 010401 analytical chemistry Poison control Physiology Biology 01 natural sciences Laboratory testing elder abuse forensic pathology forensic science stable carbon (δ13C) stable isotopes stable nitrogen (δ15N) starvation 0104 chemical sciences Pathology and Forensic Medicine Surgery Internal examination 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Genetics medicine 030216 legal & forensic medicine medicine.symptom Isotope analysis |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Forensic Sciences |
| Popis: | The diagnosis of death as a result of starvation is established on anthropological measurements, visual appearance of the deceased on external and internal examination, microscopic analysis, laboratory testing, and exclusion of other causes of death. Herein, we present our findings on a case of 95-year-old man who died of starvation. After the diagnosis of starvation was established by traditional forensic medicine methods, we have conducted retrospective segmental analysis of stable carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen (δ15 N) isotope ratios in hair sample. This method reveals periods of starvation through decrease in δ13 C and increase in δ15 N along the strand of hair. Our analysis revealed the decrease of 0.6 ‰ in δ13 C during the last 10-12 weeks prior to death, similar as reported in other investigations. Also, a decrease of 0.7 ‰ in δ15 N during the last 8-10 weeks prior to death was determined that was different than observed in previous studies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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