Assessment of time since death from conventional method Dode C.R.1, Kamle R. A.2, Bansude M.E.3, Gushinge M. C.4 1Prof. and Head, Dept. of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College Latur, Latur-413512 (M.S.) 2Resident Doctor, Dept. of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College, Latur 3Assist Prof., Dept of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College, Latur 4Resident Doctor, Dept. of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College, Latur Online published on 29 April, 2015. Abstract Determination of ‘time elapsed since death’ (TSD) is one of the important content of the post-mortem report. A recurring problem in forensic medicine is the need to fix the time of death within the limits of probability. The opinion of any doctor who offers a single time of death, instead of a range, must be viewed with suspicion (1). Investigators should consider the PMI as a minimum estimate of the time since death; never an absolute time since death (2). The points to be noted in ascertaining the time of death are warmth or cooling of the body, the absence or presence of cadaveric hypostasis, rigor mortis and the progress of decomposition. In this study, sample comprised of 200 medico-legal autopsies conducted in the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College, Latur during November 2011 to November 2013 and the parameters used to estimate time since death are cooling of body, rigor mortis and post-mortem lividity after death. All the three parameters, i.e. Temperature, Rigor mortis and PM lividity were recorded in 200 cases (In 100 cases exact time of death was known and in other 100 cases time of death was not known). From results now it is obvious that reliability to estimate time since death is as per the order temperature>rigor mortis>PM lividity. Only taking single parameter to estimate Time since death is not reliable. So all the three parameter can give relative estimation. Top Keywords Rigor mortis and Post-mortem lividity. Top |