Hypothermia is a critical clinical condition characterized by a drop in core body temperature below 35 °C, leading to life-threatening physiological disturbances. The absence of specific and pathognomonic findings in forensic cases complicates diagnosis and necessitates a multidisciplinary evaluation. This study aims to assess hypothermia-related forensic death cases in light of autopsy, toxicological, histopathological, and scene findings. A retrospective review was conducted on 56 cases diagnosed with hypothermia as the cause of death between 01/01/2020 and 31/12/2024. Sociodemographic data, scene investigation reports, external and internal examination findings, radiology (scopy), histopathological and toxicological analyses were evaluated. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. 94.6% of the cases were male, predominantly young adults. All individuals with available nationality data were foreign nationals. 89.2% were found in rural areas, and 66.1% during the spring season. Wet clothing was observed in 57.1%, and undressing in 42.9%. Scopy was performed in 10.7%. Cold burns and pink-red livor mortis were found in 71.4% and 60.7%, respectively. Gastric erosion was noted in 21.4%, and pulmonary edema in 42.9%. Toxicology revealed psychiatric drugs in 30.4%, and narcotics/volatile substances in 3.6%. Healthcare access was documented in only 5.4%. Autopsy findings alone are insufficient for diagnosing hypothermia. Integrating scene, clinical, and laboratory data enhances diagnostic accuracy. Hypothermia-related deaths should be addressed as public health issues involving medical, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Standardization of postmortem diagnostic tools and early intervention models for risk groups are recommended.
扫码关注我们
求助内容:
应助结果提醒方式:
