Corpus of biochemical changes after death by potassium intoxication in rabbits

• Published in: Fa yi xue za zhi Vol. 23; no. 4; p. 244
• Main Authors: Zhu, Xin-ju, Li, Xi-yuan, Li, Kai, Chen, Li-ping, Ke, Yong, Wang, Zhen-yuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.08.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Calcium - blood; Calcium - urine; Electrolytes - blood; Electrolytes - urine; Forensic Medicine - methods; Injections, Intravenous - methods; Magnesium - blood; Magnesium - urine; Male; Postmortem Changes; Potassium - blood; Potassium - poisoning; Potassium Chloride - administration & dosage; Rabbits; Sodium - blood; Sodium - urine
• ISSN: 1004-5619

To explore the objective evidence of the corpus biochemical changes in rabbits for postmortem diagnosis of potassium intoxication. Rabbits were sacrificed by Infusion of 0.3% KCl at full speed push or 1% KCl at 100 drip/min, respectively, with normal rabbits used as control. Cardiac blood and urine samples were collected before and after potassium infusion to examine the concentrations of various electrolytes (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, and HCO3-) and to observe the antemortem and postmortem biochemical changes. The mean lethal infusion time in the 0.3%KCl group was longer than that in the 1% KCl group (P = 0.006). The serum concentration of K+ increased while the serum concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, Cl-, and HCO3- decreased after the infusion. There were no statistically significant differences in the whole blood concentration of K+ as well as the serum concentration of Mg2+ between the two groups (P = 0.062). There were statistically significant differences in the concentrations of whole blood K+, as well as s