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Distinction between saltwater drowning and freshwater drowning by assessment of sinus fluid on post-mortem computed tomography
- Source :
- European radiology. 26(4)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- To evaluate the difference in sinus fluid volume and density between saltwater and freshwater drowning and diagnose saltwater drowning in distinction from freshwater drowning.Ninety-three drowning cases (22 saltwater and 71 freshwater) were retrospectively investigated; all had undergone post-mortem CT and forensic autopsy. Sinus fluid volume and density were calculated using a 3D-DICOM workstation, and differences were evaluated. Diagnostic performance of these indicators for saltwater drowning was evaluated using a cut-off value calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.The median sinus fluid volume was 5.68 mL in cases of saltwater drowning (range 0.08 to 37.55) and 5.46 mL in cases of freshwater drowning (0.02 to 27.68), and the average densities were 47.28 (14.26 to 75.98) HU and 32.56 (-14.38 to 77.43) HU, respectively. While sinus volume did not differ significantly (p = 0.6000), sinus density was significantly higher in saltwater than freshwater drowning cases (p = 0.0002). ROC analysis for diagnosis of saltwater drowning determined the cut-off value as 37.77 HU, with a sensitivity of 77 %, specificity of 72 %, PPV of 46 % and NPV of 91 %.The average density of sinus fluid in cases of saltwater drowning was significantly higher than in freshwater drowning cases; there was no significant difference in the sinus fluid volume.• Sinus fluid density of saltwater drowning is significantly higher than freshwater drowning. • Cut-off value was 37.77 HU based on the ROC analysis. • The cut-off value translated to 91 % NPV for diagnosis of saltwater drowning.
- Subjects :
- Sinus fluid
Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Pathology
Poison control
Computed tomography
Fresh Water
Sensitivity and Specificity
030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
0302 clinical medicine
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Paranasal Sinuses
medicine
Humans
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging
030216 legal & forensic medicine
Post mortem computed tomography
Saline Waters
Aged
Retrospective Studies
Aged, 80 and over
Hydrogen compounds
Drowning
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
General Medicine
Anatomy
Middle Aged
Biological materials
Body Fluids
Fresh water
ROC Curve
Salt water
Female
Radiology
Autopsy
business
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14321084
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European radiology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....df0188f46fbf6de58888a4194ce57307