title: Determination of calcium and magnesium in postmortem human vitreous humor as a test to ascertain the cause and time of death.
abstract: The concentrations of magnesium and total calcium human vitreous humors obtained postmortem was tested. In the groups of heart disease and asphyxia a correlation between the postmortem interval and calcium or magnesium concentrations was found. There was no correlation between postmortem interval and calcium respectively magnesium in the other causes of death. It seems possible that the analysis of vitreous humor may be useful in both diagnosis and determination of postmortem interval in the cases of heart death and asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 6, D-7900 Ulm.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balabanova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013997:Time Factors; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium