title: The effect of the post-mortem interval on the level of creatine in vitreous humour.
abstract: By means of 103 medico-legal autopsies it was established that a rise in the creatine level occurs in the vitreous humour after death. In view of the satisfactory correlation between the post-mortem interval and the creatine level in the vitreous humour (r = 0.84, p less than 0.001) investigations were undertaken as to whether the creatine level in vitreous humour can serve in current medico-legal practice as an indication for the post-mortem interval, especially for the later period (more than three days). On balance this creatine determination is only useful when combined with all other medico-legal parameters that establish the time of death, remembering that the confidence-interval in the investigations was rather wide.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piette
mesh_terms: D003401:Creatine / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013997:Time Factors; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003401:Creatine