Can Planktonic Organisms be Useful for Determining the Drowning Depth in Fatal Diving Accidents?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.2020.v25i1.1359Keywords:
Diurnal Migration, Diving Accidents, Drowning, Planktonic OrganismsAbstract
Objective: Although the triggering factors are various, most of the fatal diving accidents result in drowning. If drowning depth is known, it will contribute the clarification of underlying reasons of the accidents. In this experimental study, it has been investigated whether planktonic organisms can be used to determine the drowning depth in fatal diving accidents.
Materials and Methods: Planktonic organisms in water samples taken from the surface and 30 meters depth of Marmara Sea were investigated. In addition, rats in one of the two groups of 8 Wistar Albino species were drowned in the water sample obtained from surface at pressure of 1 ATA, and rats in the second group were drowned in the water sample obtained from 30 m depth at a pressure of 4 ATA in a hyperbaric chamber and planktonic organism was investigated in the lungs of drowned rats.
Results: In the examinations, 22 phytoplankton and 5 zooplankton taxa were detected in the samples obtained from the surface and 7 phytoplankton taxa were detected in the sample obtained from 30 m depth. In the autopsies planktonic organism was not found in the lungs of rats. It was observed that the lungs of the rats that drowned at 4 ATA were more bulging and bleeding. The absence of a planktonic organism in the lungs was thought to be due to the fact that the rats aspirated a very small amount of water and the plankton density in the samples was low....
Downloads
References
History of diving, U.S. Navy Diving Manual. Revision 7, Chapter 1. Published By Direction of Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, 01 December 2016; 1/1-1/31
Saturation diving. U.S. Navy Diving Manual. Revision 7, Chapter 1. Published By Direction of Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, 01 December 2016; 13/1-13/41
WHO. Drowning. 2019 [Erişim Tarihi: 17 Haziran 2019]. https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/drowning/en/
Elliott, DH, Bennett, PB. Underwater Accidents. In: The Physiology And Medicine Of Diving. Eds: Peter Bennett and David H. Elliott, W.B. Saunders Company Ltd. 1993; pp.238-252.
Koca E, Sam B, Arican N, Toklu AS. Evaluation of fatal diving accidents in Turkey. UHMS 2018; 45(6): 633-638. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22462/11.12.2018.2
Lakadamyalı, H, Doğan, T. Türkiye’de bir turizm yöresinde suda boğulma olgularının irdelenmesi, Türkiye Klinikleri Tıp Bilimleri Dergisi. 2008; 28: 143-148.
Modell JH, Moya F. Effects of volume of aspirated fluid during chlorinated fresh water drowning. Anesthesiology. 1966; 27: 662-672. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-196609000-00018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-196609000-00018
Modell JH, Gaub M, Moya F, Vestal B, Swarz H. Physiologic effects of near drowning with chlorinated fresh water, distilled water and isotonic saline. Anesthesiology. 1966; 27: 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-196601000-00007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-196601000-00007
Modell, JH, Bellefleur M, Davis JH. Drowning without aspiration: Is this an appropriate diagnosis? Journal of Forensic Sciences. 1999; 44 (6): 1119-1123. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14580J. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14580J
Lunetta P, Pentilla A, Hallfors G. Scanning and transmission electron microscopical evidence of the capacity of diyatoms to penetrate the alveolo-capillary barrier in drowning. International Journal Legal Medicine. 1998; 111: 229-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050159
Hürlimann J, Feer P, Elber F, Niederberger K. Diyatom detection in the diagnosis of death by drowning. International Journal Legal Medicine. 2000; 114: 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004149900122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004149900122
Yoshimura S, Yoshida M, Okii Y, Tokiyasu T, Watabiki T, Akane A. Detection of green algae (Chlorophyceae) for the diagnosis of drowning. International Journal of Legal Medicine. 1995; 108: 39-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01845616. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01845616
Yorulmaz C. Suda Boğulma Tanısında Diatom Testinin Değeri. İstanbul Üniversitesi Dahili Tıp, Adli Tıp, Uzmanlık Tezi; 1996.
Lunetta P, Modell JH. Macroscopical, microscopical, and laboratory findings in drowning victims. In: Tsokos Med. Forensic Pathology Reviews, Humana Press. 2005; 3: 3-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-910-3_1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-910-3_1
Yorulmaz C. Sudan Çıkarılan Cesetler. Adli Tıp Ders Kitabı. Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi. 2011; 281: 217-233.
Çiler FK, Çetin G. Comparison of diatoms which were obtained from the external surface of the body and internal organs in the corpses pulled out of water using colloidal silica gradient centrifuge method. Adli Tıp Bülteni. 2019; 24(2): 83-92. https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.2019252241. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.2019252241
Yorulmaz C, Çakalır C. Suda Boğulma. İ.Ü. Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi Yayınları, Adli Tıp. 1999; 1: 459-474.
Auer, A. Qualitative diatom analysis as a tool to diagnose drowning. American Journel Forensic Med Pathol. 1991; 12 (3): 213-218. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000433-199109000-00009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00000433-199109000-00009
Pollanen MS, Cheung C, Chiasson DA. The Diagnostic Value of the Diatom Test for Drowning, 1. Utility: a retrospective analysis of 771 cases of drowning in Ontario, Canada. Journel Forensic Sci. 1997; 42 (2): 281-285. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14111J. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14111J
Azparren JE, Vallejo G, Reyes E, Herranz A, Sancho M. Study of Diagnostic Value of Strontium, Chloride, Haemoglobin and Diatoms in İmmersion Cases. Forensic Science International. 1998; 91(2): 123-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0379-0738(97)00186-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-0738(97)00186-2
Güven TA, Şam B, Şirin G. İstanbul’da tüplü dalış ölümleri. Adli Tıp Bülteni. 2004; 9 (2): 47-50. https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.200492538. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.200492538
Kumral B, Büyük Y, Fidancı G, Cun E, Özbay M, Cenger CD, Melez DO. İstanbul’da Otopsisi Yapılmış Suda Boğulma Sonucu Ölüm Olgularında Diyatom Varlığının Değerlendirilmesi. J For Med. 2011; 25 (1): 33-40.
Kul GC. Diyatom incelemelerinin suda boğulma tanısı açısından değerinin deneysel sıçan suda boğulma modelinde araştırılması. Uzmanlık Tezi, Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Adli Tıp Anabilim Dalı. 2005.
Simpson TL, Volcani BE. Introduction. In Simpson, TL, Volcani BE. [Eds.] Silicon and Siliceous Structures in Biological Systems. Springer-Verlag, New York.1981; 3–12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5944-2_1
Tréguer T, Nelson DM, Van Bennekom AJ, Demaster DJ, Leynaert A, Quéguiner B. The silica balance in the world ocean: a reestimate. Science. 1995; 268, 375–379. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.268.5209.375. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.268.5209.375
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The Journal and content of this website is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) License. The Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) allows users to copy, distribute and transmit an article, adapt the article and make commercial use of the article. The CC BY license permits commercial and non-commercial re-use of an open access article, as long as the author is properly attributed.
