Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Re-oxygenation of haemoglobin in livores after post-mortem exposure to a cold environment

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Legal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

When a body is exposed to a cold environment, the livid colour of livor mortis changes to cherry red. This colour change is due to an increase in the concentration of oxygenated haemoglobin. The chronological course and the extent of haemoglobin re-oxygenation associated with the exposure to low ambient temperatures have not been understood so far. The relations between refrigeration time under a constant ambient temperature (5°C), skin temperature, body mass index (BMI), spectral reflectance curve and O2–Hb concentration in livor mortis were systematically investigated in 84 bodies brought to the Institute of Legal Medicine of the Freiburg University Hospital shortly after death. In the first measurements performed shortly after death, the reflectance curves of the livores of all bodies showed a broad minimum at 555 nm. After a refrigeration time of 44.9 ± 17.9 h, the spectrum changed to the typical picture of O2-rich blood with 2 minima at 541 and 576 nm and a maximum at 560 nm in between. This qualitative change of the reflectance spectra was observed for a skin temperature of 10.3 ± 2.7°C. With the help of a physical skin model it was possible to calculate that due to the post-mortem exposure to cold the O2–Hb concentration in the livores rose from 0–1% to a value of up to 89.3%. The change in the reflectance curve was discernible from an oxygen saturation of 25 ± 13.8%.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Belenkaia L, Bohnert M, Liehr AW (2006) Electronic laboratory notebook assisting reflectance spectrometry in legal medicine. arXiv DOI http://www.arxiv.org/abs/cs.DB/0612123

  2. Bohnert M, Weinmann W, Pollak S (1999) Spectrophotometric evaluation of postmortem lividity. Forensic Sci Int 99:149–158

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bohnert M, Walther R, Roths T, Honerkamp J (2005) A Monte Carlo-based model for steady state diffuse reflectance spectrometry in human skin: estimation of carbon monoxide concentration in livor mortis. Int J Legal Med 119:355–362

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bolin FP, Preuss LE, Taylor CR, Ference RJ (1989) Refractive index of some mammalian tissues using a fibre optic cladding method. Appl Opt 28:2297–2303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Brinkmann B, Madea B (eds) (2004) Handbuch Gerichtliche Medizin. Springer, Berlin

  6. Di Maio VJM, Di Maio DJ (2001) Forensic pathology, 2nd edn. CRC, Boca Raton, FL

    Google Scholar 

  7. Forster B (1987) Praxis der Rechtsmedizin. Thieme, Stuttgart New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. Guyton AC, Hall JE (2005) Textbook of medical physiology, 11th edn. Saunders, London

    Google Scholar 

  9. Henssge C, Knight B, Krompecher T, Madea B, Nokes L (1995) The estimation of the time since death in the early postmortem period. Arnold, London

    Google Scholar 

  10. Henssge C, Althaus L, Bolt J et al (2000) Experiences with a compound method for estimating the time since death. I. Rectal temperature nomogram for time since death. Int J Legal Med 113:303–309

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Henssge C, Madea B (2004) Estimation of the time since death in the early post-mortem period. Forensic Sci Int 144:167–175

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Holzer FJ (1934) Über Eigentümlichkeiten beim Rotwerden der Totenflecken. Z Medizinalbeamt 2:65–72

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kaatsch HJ, Stadler M, Nietert M (1993) Photometric measurement of color changes in livor mortis as a function of pressure and time. Development of a computer-aided system for measuring pressure-induced blanching of livor mortis to estimate time of death. Int J Legal Med 106:91–97

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kaatsch HJ, Schmidtke W, Nietsch W (1994) Photometric measurement of pressure-induced blanching of livor mortis as an aid to estimating time of death. Application of a new system for quantifying pressure-induced blanching in lividity. Int J Legal Med 106:209–214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kessler H (1951) Zur Differentialdiagnose der Einwirkung von Kälte oder Kohlenoxyd auf die Färbung der Hypostase. M.D. thesis, University of Heidelberg

  16. Lins G (1973) Der Farbort der Totenflecken im Spektralfarbenzug. Beitr Gerichtl Med 31:203–212

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Maeda H, Fukita K, Oritani S, Ishida K, Zhu BL (1997) Evaluation of post-mortem oxymetry with reference to the causes of death. Forensic Sci Int 87:201–210

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mall G, Hubig M, Beier G, Eisenmenger W (1998) Energy loss due to radiation in postmortem cooling. Part A: quantitative estimation of radiation using the Stefan–Boltzmann law. Int J Legal Med 111:299–304

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mall G, Hubig M, Beier G, Büttner A, Eisenmenger W (1999) Energy loss due to radiation in postmortem cooling. Part B: energy balance with respect to radiation. Int J Legal Med 112:233–240

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Mall G, Eckl M, Sinicina I, Peschel O, Hubig M (2004) Temperature-based death time estimation with only partially known environmental conditions. Int J Legal Med 119:185–194

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Mueller B (1975) Gerichtliche Medizin, 2nd edn. Springer, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  22. Perelman LT, Backman V, Wallace M et al (1998) Observation of periodic fine structure in reflectance from biological tissue: a new technique for measuring nuclear size distribution. Phys Rev Lett 80:627–630

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Prokop O, Göhler W (1976) Forensische Medizin, 3rd edn. Fischer, Stuttgart New York

    Google Scholar 

  24. Saukko PJ, Knight B (eds) (2004) Knight’s forensic pathology, 3rd edn. Arnold, London

  25. Schuller E, Pankratz H, Liebhardt E (1987) Farbortmessungen an Totenflecken. Beitr Gerichtl Med 45:169–173

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Schuller E, Pankratz H, Wohlrab S, Liebhardt E (1988) Die Bestimmung des Farbortes der Totenflecken in Beziehung zur Wegdrückbarkeit. In: Bauer G (ed) Gerichtsmedizin. Festschrift für Wilhelm Holczabeck. Deuticke, Vienna, pp 295–302

    Google Scholar 

  27. Schwerd W (1992) Rechtsmedizin, 5th edn. Deutscher Ärzte-Verlag, Köln

    Google Scholar 

  28. Spitz WU (ed) (1993) Medicolegal investigation of death, 3rd edn. Thomas, Springfield, IL

  29. Vanezis P (1991) Assessing hypostasis by colorimetry. Forensic Sci Int 52:1–3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Vanezis P, Trujillo O (1996) Evaluation of hypostasis using a colorimeter measuring system and its application to assessment of the post-mortem interval (time of death). Forensic Sci Int 78:19–28

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Walther R, Roths T, Bohnert M, Honerkamp J (2004) Monte Carlo based model for steady-state diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Proc SPIE 5261:70–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Zonios G, Perelman LT, Backman V, Manoharan R, Fitzmaurice M, Dam JV, Feld MS (1999) Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of human adenomatous colon polyps in vivo. Appl Opt 38:6628–6637

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Council), file number BO 1923/2-1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Legal Medicine, Albert Ludwig University, Albertstrasse 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Michael Bohnert & Katharina Schulz

  2. Freiburg Materials Research Center, Albert Ludwig University, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Lioudmila Belenkaia & Andreas W. Liehr

Authors
  1. Michael Bohnert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katharina Schulz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lioudmila Belenkaia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andreas W. Liehr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Bohnert.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bohnert, M., Schulz, K., Belenkaia, L. et al. Re-oxygenation of haemoglobin in livores after post-mortem exposure to a cold environment. Int J Legal Med 122, 91–96 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-007-0162-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-007-0162-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation