Thesis title: The Development and Validation of an ABL825 FLEX Blood Gas Analyser Method for the Quantitation of Glucose, Lactate, and Electrolytes in Post-Mortem Vitreous Humour
Supervisors: Jade Mader and Mmitsane Khotseng

The analysis of glucose, lactate, and electrolytes (calcium (Ca2+), chloride (Cl-), potassium (K+), and sodium (Na+)) is a crucial component of post-mortem biochemical investigations, such as in the diagnosis of diabetic metabolic disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, thermal disorders, sepsis and hyperglycaemia (Chen et al., 2015). Potential applications of these analyses in cases of drowning, anaphylaxis, and hypothermia, as well as in the diagnosis of disease processes have been described, however, the interpretation of these analytes is complex (Belsey & Flanagan, 2016). In the Western Cape, there is a gap in routine forensic analysis of these markers. There are currently no validated methods for their quantitation in post-mortem vitreous humour, which may be essential in understanding the biochemical status around the time of death. This project aims to develop and validate a method for the quantitation of these electrolytes and metabolic substrates in post-mortem vitreous humour using an ABL825 FLEX blood gas analyser (Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark). Accurate quantitation of these analytes is vital for forensic pathology and public health, offering insights into the circumstances surrounding unnatural deaths.