Objective:

To assess the frequency of bacterial detection in postmortem blood cultures and their association with cause of death.

Key Findings:

• 66% of cases showed bacterial growth; 34% were sterile.
• 92.4% of positive cultures were monomicrobial.
• Most common organism identified was Klebsiella pneumoniae.
• Positive cultures were found in 93.8% of disease-related deaths and 68.1% of polytrauma cases.
• No significant relationship between culture results and postmortem interval or duration of hospital stay.

Interpretation:

Positive postmortem blood cultures may indicate infection but must be interpreted cautiously alongside autopsy findings and clinical history.

Limitations:

• Single-center design.
• Relatively small sample size.
• Lack of molecular confirmation of bacterial origin.
• Incomplete data on premortem antibiotic use.

Conclusion:

Postmortem blood cultures can be a complementary tool in forensic pathology, particularly when infection is suspected.