Abstract

Background: The profile of medicolegal autopsy cases is important in order to know the death statistics in a region due to unnatural causes and also help to address the demographic needs according to the mortality statistics specific to that area. Material and Methods: The present study is a retrospective study of autopsies performed at the tertiary care centre, S Nijalingappa Medical College, Bagalkot, Karnataka India. Data collected from department of medical records and department of forensic medicine from January 2016 to December 2017 comprising 64 cases. Results: Out of 64 cases maximum number of the postmortem were in the age group of 21–30 years, majority of victims were males (61%), in identified bodies 88% were Hindu, 8% Muslim, 4 % were others. In our study 57.5% were rural residents and only 34.5% were urban. In 8% cases religion and residential status could not be determined. Death due to burn injuries and its complications formed majority of cases (37.5%) in our study followed by RTA (22%) and poisoning (15.5%). Conclusions: In our hospital based study of medicolegal autopsy cases- majority were in 3rd decade of life, males constituted more in number as compared to female, rural residents were more in number, Hindus being majority in number formed bulk of cases, burns, RTA and poisoning were seen as leading cause of death in medicolegal autopsies.

• 1.   Perper JA. Time of death and changes after death: Part 1: anatomical considerations. In: Spitz WU (ed) Spitz and Fisher’s Medicolegal investigation of Death, 3rd edn. Charlas Thomas Publisher, USA. 1993.p.14-50.
• 2.   Kannan K, Mathiharan K. Ed. In: Modi-A textbook of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology. 24th Ed. LexisNexis Butterworth’s Nagpur: 2012.p. 293, 295,297, 360.
• 3.   Curran WJ. The Medico-legal autopsy and Medicolegal investigation. Bull N Y Acad Med 1971 July; 47(7): 766-75.
• 4.   The Punjab Medical Manual, 2nded. 1933. Superintendent, Government Printing, Punjab, Lahore; App. XXXVII: CII, Chapter X, p. 154, Para 595.
• 5.   Murthy MSN, Dutta BN, Ramalingaswami V. Coronary atherosclerosis in North India (Delhi Area). J PatholBacteriol 1963; 85:93-101.
• 6.   McClure GMG Recent Trends in Suicides amongst the young; British Journal of Psychiatry 1984; 144: 134-138.
• 7.   Bhullar DS, Oberoi SS, Aggarwal OP et al. Profile of Unnatural deaths (between 18-30years of age) in GMCHPatiala, (India) JFMT 1996; XIII(3):5-8.
• 8.   Sharma BR. Trends of Poisons and Drugs used in Jammu JFMT 1996; XIII(2) 7-9.
• 9.   Singh Prabjot. Alarming rise in fatalities The Tribune, 2000 Aug 19: 1 & 22.
• 10.   Radhakrishna KV, Makhani CS, Nikhil Sisodiya, Sachin Chourasia, Sarala M, Khan RN. Profile of medicolegal autopsies conducted at tertiary medicolegal centre in southwestern India. International J. of Healthcare and Biomedical Research, 2015 Jan; 3(2):70-75.
• 11.   Patel JB, Chandegara PV, Patel UP, Parkhe SN,Govekar G. Profile of autopsy cases at New CivilHospital, Surat: a retrospective study. Int J Med SciPublic Health 2016; 5:10-13.