title: The role of intestinal bacterial heat production in confounding postmortem temperature measurements.
abstract: To assess the influence of anaerobic bacterial heat production in human stools as a confounding factor in postmortem rectal temperature measurements, in vitro experiments were carried out with human stools incubated at 37 degrees C for 6 h and at decreasing temperatures simulating a postmortem body cooling. Although a statistical significant heat production was observed, it was not relevant enough to explain a postmortem temperature plateau or a substantial rise in the postmortem body temperature. The experiments suggest that stools merely reflect the environmental thermal changes rather than producing bias and confounding by a bacterial heat production.
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of Leuven, Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hooft
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van de Voorde
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D011180:Postmortem Changes