Viktoriia M. Voloshynovychxw
Problems of Forensic Sciences (Z Zagadnień Nauk Sądowych), 134, 2023, s. 117 - 132
https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.23.007.19056This article discusses the factors for drowning death such as age and sex. The article provides data from Ukraine, where the mortality rate from drowning is 4.69 per 100,000 population, which ranks it 31st in the world.
The aim of article focuses on documenting the characteristic of drowning death cases in different age and sex groups in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine, where 178 drowning cases were analyzed from 2010 to 2014. Analyzed drowning cases for which autopsies were performed at the Ivano-Frankivsk Autopsy Room from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014.
The article concludes that age and sex are important predictors of drowning and that individualized prevention strategies are needed for different population groups. The data show that drowning mortality was highest among men aged 31 to 40 years (41 of the total 141 cases; 29.07%), and mortality among women was highest among those aged 61 to 70 years (7 of the total 37 cases; 18.92%) and 71 to 80 years (7 of the total 37 cases; 18.92%). The ratio of male to female deaths was almost 4 : 1, with a mortality rate of 79.21% for men and 20.79% for women. The review also identifies an association between alcohol consumption and drowning deaths, suggesting that targeted prevention efforts are needed for high-risk populations, such as young adults and men. The article emphasizes the importance of further research to better understand the underlying factors and develop effective prevention strategies.
Viktoriia M. Voloshynovychxw
Problems of Forensic Sciences (Z Zagadnień Nauk Sądowych), 129, 2022, s. 49 - 73
https://doi.org/10.4467/12307483PFS.22.003.16304The article describes the current possibilities of forensic medicine in the diagnosis of death by drowning, as well as reflects the different views of the authors and the evolution of approaches to this issue. Despite the constant interest of scientists in the topic of drowning and extensive research on this issue, there are still many white spots. Researchers are trying to identify more specific changes characteristic of drowning and possible methods to detect them.
The main evidence based method of diagnosing drowning at present is the detection of diatomic plankton in the tissues of isolated kidneys by light optical microscopy. However, microscopic examination and identification of diatomic plankton require a lot of time and accurate taxonomic examination. Also, a disadvantage of this method is that the methods of processing the material sent for research, as a result of the use of concentrated acids for the destruction of organs, greatly complicates and sometimes eliminates the possibility of detection of diatomic plankton. In some cases, the presence of diatoms during drowning is so small that it is impossible to detect them by microscopy. In such cases, the presence of phytoplankton DNA detected by PCR in tissues during drowning is almost the only method for diagnosing drowning. Nowadays there has been a lack of research in the field of forensic medicine related to the use of evidence-based medicine, especially in the field of drowning.