Significance of Middle ear Haemorrhagein Cases of Drowning Deaths: An Autopsy Study of Rural Punjab

The diagnosis of death by drowning remains a difficult task for forensic experts at the time of postmortem examination. The presence of putrefaction and postmortem artefacts cover essential signs of drowning found on external and internal examination of dead body. This study involved gross examination of middle ear cavity for presence of haemorrhage to establish a diagnosis of antemortem drowning. Itwas planned considering the lack of research on this subject in the North Indian population. This study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, Punjab and includeddrowning deaths brought for autopsy. This study helped assessing the reliability of incidence of middle ear hemorrhage to affirm the diagnosis of antemortem drowning in the absence of other external and internal signs suggestive of drowning.