PMICALC: an R code-based software for estimating post-mortem interval (PMI) compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
In legal medicine the correct determination of the time of death is of utmost importance. Recent advances in estimating post-mortem interval (PMI) have made use of vitreous humour chemistry in conjunction with Linear Regression, but the results are questionable. In this paper we present PMICALC, an R code-based freeware package which estimates PMI in cadavers of recent death by measuring the concentrations of potassium ([K+]), hypoxanthine ([Hx]) and urea ([U]) in the vitreous humor using two different regression models: Additive Models (AM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), which offer more flexibility than the previously used Linear Regression. The results from both models are better than those published to date and can give numerical expression of PMI with confidence intervals and graphic support within 20 min. The program also takes into account the cause of death.
Muñoz-Barús
José I
JI
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, C/ San Francisco sn, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. joseignacio.munoz.barus@usc.es
Rodríguez-Calvo
María Sol
MS
Suárez-Peñaranda
José M
JM
Vieira
Duarte N
DN
Cadarso-Suárez
Carmen
C
Febrero-Bande
Manuel
M
D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D019271:Hypoxanthine / Q000032:analysis; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012984:Software; D014508:Urea / Q000032:analysis; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry
D019271:Hypoxanthine; D014508:Urea; D011188:Potassium