Résumé
Drowning is the leading cause of death by accident of everyday life in people under 25 years of age. Xenobiotics are frequently involved in drowning cases but their influence on the diagnosis of drowning has not been studied so far. This exploratory study aimed to assess the influence of toxic impregnation on autopsy signs and on the results of diatom analysis in drowning deaths. Twenty-eight autopsy cases of drowning were prospectively included at the Montpellier Forensic Institute. Each of these cases was subjected to toxicological and diatom analysis. We did not find any significant association between the degree of toxic impregnation and the amount of diatoms detected in the organs. The majority of autopsy signs (foam, pulmonary edema and inflation,) did not seem to be influenced by toxic impregnation either, with the exception of the lung weight which tended to increase in case of associated intoxication. Further research on larger populations is needed to confirm these results.