Techniques for detection of planktons in medico-legal investigation of deaths by drowning / 中国法医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Drowning represents one of the leading causes of unnatural death. The plankton test is still considered as one of the useful methods for medico-legal investigation of death by drowning although controversies concerning the reliability of the test exist. The methods commonly used for detection of planktons generally include microscopic examination after tissue samples are destructed with or without strong acid, and detection of the planktons by molecular biological techniques. The evaluation of the positive results by the former methods are limited by the physical-chemical characters of the planktons. Detection of DNA genetic markers by molecular biological techniques, which can provide abundant information and is applicable to studying various planktons, is a novel method helpful for investigation of drowning. In the present paper, several techniques for detection of planktons were reviewed as references for medico-legal practitioners in investigation of suspected cases of drowning.