title: The detection of amylase on swabs from sexual assault cases.
abstract: Results are presented of amylase tests performed on more than 400 casework swabs using Phadebas tablets. Amylase levels indicative of saliva were obtained from 25% of the penile swabs tested, 32% of the vaginal swabs and 50% of the breast swabs. The longest time interval between the offence and sampling when such levels were detected was 16 hours for penile swabs, 55 hours for vaginal swabs and 30 hours for breast swabs.
authors.affiliation: Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Higgs
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000201:enzymology*; D001940:Breast / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000201:enzymology; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D012742:Sex Offenses; D013997:Time Factors; D014621:Vagina / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases