Regional measurements of radio-density in the right atrium do not show differences between salt-water or fresh-water drowned or control decedents.

ConclusionsAspiration of fluid while drowning may cause changes in blood concentration. Blood concentration is measured using radio-density on PMCT images. PMCT radio-density data extracted from regional ROIs demonstrates the presence of the sedimentation effect but is not supportive of classification of drowning. There was good agreement between readers in the performance of this task.
Source: Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging - Category: Radiology Source Type: research