Ante-mortem drowning
Definition
Drowning that occurs while the victim is still alive and the cardiopulmonary system is functioning. Active breathing and circulation are prerequisites for the diatom test to yield a positive result in distant organs.
Related terms
- Acid digestion
- A laboratory preparation step in which concentrated mineral acids are used to destroy all organic tissue in a sample, leaving only acid-resistant...
- Bone marrow
- The fatty and haematopoietic tissue inside long bones such as the femur and tibia. Because it is enclosed in dense cortical bone,...
- Control sample
- A water sample collected from the suspected drowning environment at or shortly after the time of body recovery. Its diatom assemblage is...
- Hematogenous dissemination
- Spread of a substance via the bloodstream. In the diatom test, diatoms aspirated into the lungs during ante-mortem drowning enter pulmonary capillaries...
- Post-mortem immersion
- Placement of a body in water after death. Passive water entry into the upper airways and body cavities can carry diatoms into...
Explained in
- The Diatom Test in Drowning InvestigationDrowning that occurs while the victim is still alive and the cardiopulmonary system is functioning. Active breathing and circulation are prerequisites for the...