Investigation of calcium and sodium in postmortem material as biochemical markers defining the cause of death from hypothermia

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of calcium and sodium measurements in the heart, liver, and muscle autopsy samples as biochemical markers defining the cause of death from hypothermia. The concentration of electrolytes in selected internal organ tissues of persons who died from hypothermia (n = 26) was compared with element concentrations in analogous tissues of persons that died due to other causes (control group, n = 26). Our study showed no significant differences in the calcium content of tissues in persons who died from hypothermia, over those who died in normothermic conditions. The concentration of sodium was significantly (p < 0.001) increased in the skeletal muscle of subjects who died from hypothermia.