Postmortem lung weight with regard to survival time

Abstract

In cases of shock, the lung weight decreases due to massive hemorrhaging, but increases due to progressive congestion and edema caused by microvascular injury. To examine the relationship between postmortem lung weight and survival time, the present study investigated serial autopsy cases ( n = 904), including those with fatalities from blunt injury ( n = 328: head injury, n = 191; others, n = 137), sharp instrument injury ( n = 70), mechanical asphyxiation ( n = 80), intoxication ( n = 62), drowning ( n = 75), fire fatality ( n = 184), and acute myocardial infarction/ischemia (AMI, n = 105). In acute death cases (survival time < 1 h), the total lung weight was low in cases of blunt and sharp instrument injuries, higher in those of drowning and intoxication, and intermediate for cases of fire fatality, mechanical asphyxiation, and AMI. The total lung weight showed a survival time-dependent increase for blunt and sharp instrument injuries, fire fatality, and mechanical asphyxiation; however, such a finding was not seen in the cases of AMI, drowning, or intoxication. These findings suggest that an increase in lung weight due to progressive congestion and edema and a heavier lung weight may indicate a longer survival time.