Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices
Abstract Postmortal interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIED) may contribute to the determination of time of death in forensic medicine. Recent studies aimed to improve estimation of time of death by combining findings from autopsy, CIED interrogation and patients´ medical histo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12390-3 |
| _version_ | 1818211773998694400 |
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| author | Korbinian Lackermair Florian Fischer Johannes Manhart Eva Scheurer Matthias Graw Diana Boy Claudia Lenz Bonnie Hartrampf Antonia Kellnar Lauren Sams Heidi Estner Stephanie Fichtner |
| author_facet | Korbinian Lackermair Florian Fischer Johannes Manhart Eva Scheurer Matthias Graw Diana Boy Claudia Lenz Bonnie Hartrampf Antonia Kellnar Lauren Sams Heidi Estner Stephanie Fichtner |
| author_sort | Korbinian Lackermair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Postmortal interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIED) may contribute to the determination of time of death in forensic medicine. Recent studies aimed to improve estimation of time of death by combining findings from autopsy, CIED interrogation and patients´ medical history. CIED from deceased undergoing forensic autopsy were included, if time of death remained unclear after forensic assessment. CIED explanted from deceased with known time of death were analysed as a control cohort. CIED were sent to our device interrogation lab and underwent analysis blinded for autopsy findings, medical history and police reports. The accuracy of time of death determination and the accuracy of time of death in the control cohort served as primary outcome. A total of 87 CIED were analysed. The determination of time of death was possible in 54 CIED (62%, CI 52–72%). The accuracy of the estimated time of death was 92.3% in the control cohort. Certain CIED type and manufacturers were associated with more successful determination. Blinded postmortal analysis enables a valid determination of the time of death in the majority of CIED. Analysis of explanted CIED in a cardiological core lab is feasible and should be implemented in forensic medicine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:37:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9376dd185534cf9bdab122c44539e9a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T05:37:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9376dd185534cf9bdab122c44539e9a2022-12-22T00:36:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-05-011211610.1038/s41598-022-12390-3Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devicesKorbinian Lackermair0Florian Fischer1Johannes Manhart2Eva Scheurer3Matthias Graw4Diana Boy5Claudia Lenz6Bonnie Hartrampf7Antonia Kellnar8Lauren Sams9Heidi Estner10Stephanie Fichtner11Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityInstitute of Legal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian UniversityInstitute of Legal Medicine, Rostock University Medical CenterDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of BaselInstitute of Legal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian UniversityInstitute of Legal Medicine, Rostock University Medical CenterDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of BaselDepartment of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityDepartment of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityDepartment of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityDepartment of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityDepartment of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilian UniversityAbstract Postmortal interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIED) may contribute to the determination of time of death in forensic medicine. Recent studies aimed to improve estimation of time of death by combining findings from autopsy, CIED interrogation and patients´ medical history. CIED from deceased undergoing forensic autopsy were included, if time of death remained unclear after forensic assessment. CIED explanted from deceased with known time of death were analysed as a control cohort. CIED were sent to our device interrogation lab and underwent analysis blinded for autopsy findings, medical history and police reports. The accuracy of time of death determination and the accuracy of time of death in the control cohort served as primary outcome. A total of 87 CIED were analysed. The determination of time of death was possible in 54 CIED (62%, CI 52–72%). The accuracy of the estimated time of death was 92.3% in the control cohort. Certain CIED type and manufacturers were associated with more successful determination. Blinded postmortal analysis enables a valid determination of the time of death in the majority of CIED. Analysis of explanted CIED in a cardiological core lab is feasible and should be implemented in forensic medicine.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12390-3 |
| spellingShingle | Korbinian Lackermair Florian Fischer Johannes Manhart Eva Scheurer Matthias Graw Diana Boy Claudia Lenz Bonnie Hartrampf Antonia Kellnar Lauren Sams Heidi Estner Stephanie Fichtner Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices Scientific Reports |
| title | Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices |
| title_full | Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices |
| title_fullStr | Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices |
| title_short | Determination of time of death by blinded post-mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices |
| title_sort | determination of time of death by blinded post mortem interrogation of cardiac implantable electrical devices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12390-3 |
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