The potential diagnostic accuracy of autopsy lung weights, lung-heart ratio, and lung-body ratio in drowning deaths

Rexson Tse; Jack Garland; Kilak Kesha; Paul Morrow; Leo Lam; Hannah Elstub; Allan Cala; Amy Spark; Cristian Palmiere; Simon Stables

doi:10.1097/PAF.0000000000000402

The potential diagnostic accuracy of autopsy lung weights, lung-heart ratio, and lung-body ratio in drowning deaths

Rexson Tse, Jack Garland, Kilak Kesha, Paul Morrow, Leo Lam, Hannah Elstub, Allan Cala, Amy Spark, Cristian Palmiere, Simon Stables

Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Lung weights are often increased in drowning deaths as well as in other types of deaths. Lung weights may also vary with age, sex, and body weight. A variety of methods have been proposed to utilize lung weight data to assist with the diagnosis of drowning. The present study compared lung weight, lung-heart ratio (LH), and lung-body ratio (LB) between 50 consecutive drowning and 50 nonimmersion deaths in order to assess the accuracy in diagnosing drowning. Analysis revealed both LH and LB to be statistically higher in drowning deaths (P < 0.05), with LB being the most robust measurement. However, the overall diagnostic accuracies of lung weight, LH, and LB were poor to fair, and should therefore be used only in conjunction with the other diagnostic criteria.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	223-228
Number of pages	6
Journal	American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
Volume	39
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0000000000000402
Publication status	Published - 2018

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10.1097/PAF.0000000000000402

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title = "The potential diagnostic accuracy of autopsy lung weights, lung-heart ratio, and lung-body ratio in drowning deaths",

abstract = "Lung weights are often increased in drowning deaths as well as in other types of deaths. Lung weights may also vary with age, sex, and body weight. A variety of methods have been proposed to utilize lung weight data to assist with the diagnosis of drowning. The present study compared lung weight, lung-heart ratio (LH), and lung-body ratio (LB) between 50 consecutive drowning and 50 nonimmersion deaths in order to assess the accuracy in diagnosing drowning. Analysis revealed both LH and LB to be statistically higher in drowning deaths (P < 0.05), with LB being the most robust measurement. However, the overall diagnostic accuracies of lung weight, LH, and LB were poor to fair, and should therefore be used only in conjunction with the other diagnostic criteria.",

author = "Rexson Tse and Jack Garland and Kilak Kesha and Paul Morrow and Leo Lam and Hannah Elstub and Allan Cala and Amy Spark and Cristian Palmiere and Simon Stables",

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AU - Tse, Rexson

AU - Garland, Jack

AU - Kesha, Kilak

AU - Morrow, Paul

AU - Lam, Leo

AU - Elstub, Hannah

AU - Cala, Allan

AU - Spark, Amy

AU - Palmiere, Cristian

AU - Stables, Simon

PY - 2018

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N2 - Lung weights are often increased in drowning deaths as well as in other types of deaths. Lung weights may also vary with age, sex, and body weight. A variety of methods have been proposed to utilize lung weight data to assist with the diagnosis of drowning. The present study compared lung weight, lung-heart ratio (LH), and lung-body ratio (LB) between 50 consecutive drowning and 50 nonimmersion deaths in order to assess the accuracy in diagnosing drowning. Analysis revealed both LH and LB to be statistically higher in drowning deaths (P < 0.05), with LB being the most robust measurement. However, the overall diagnostic accuracies of lung weight, LH, and LB were poor to fair, and should therefore be used only in conjunction with the other diagnostic criteria.

AB - Lung weights are often increased in drowning deaths as well as in other types of deaths. Lung weights may also vary with age, sex, and body weight. A variety of methods have been proposed to utilize lung weight data to assist with the diagnosis of drowning. The present study compared lung weight, lung-heart ratio (LH), and lung-body ratio (LB) between 50 consecutive drowning and 50 nonimmersion deaths in order to assess the accuracy in diagnosing drowning. Analysis revealed both LH and LB to be statistically higher in drowning deaths (P < 0.05), with LB being the most robust measurement. However, the overall diagnostic accuracies of lung weight, LH, and LB were poor to fair, and should therefore be used only in conjunction with the other diagnostic criteria.

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JO - American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

JF - American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

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ER -

The potential diagnostic accuracy of autopsy lung weights, lung-heart ratio, and lung-body ratio in drowning deaths

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