Medicolegal Investigation of Violent Asphyxial Deaths - An Autopsy Based Study

Abstract

Objective `To determine the frequency of violent asphyxial deaths autopsied in three major mortuaries of Karachi along with age and gender vulnerability. Study Design Autopsy- based descriptive cross-sectional study.Place: Mortuaries at Civil, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and Abbasi-Shaheed Hospital Karachi.Duration of study: Autopsies conducted during March 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009. Patients and method Out of 2090 medicolegal deaths autopsied at three centers of Karachi during the study period, details were collected for those medicolegal deaths identified to be due to violent asphyxial deaths. Findings were recorded in a purpose built Performa under the headings of natural and unnatural deaths according to the disease, cause, manner, causative agent, age and gender. Results 148 out of 2090 medicolegal deaths were identified to be violent asphyxial deaths, making incidence rate 7.08%. There were 112(75.68%) males and 36(24.32%) females. Male predominance was seen in all asphyxial deaths except manual strangulation and smothering. Age group in the range of 15 – 35 years was chiefly affected. Smothering was seen in young children. Hanging and drowning were leading causes of violent asphyxial deaths. 100% suicide and homicide manner of death were reported in hanging and strangulation respectively. Conclusion Males and young age group population between 15 – 30 years are more vulnerable victims of violent asphyxial deaths. Suicidal deaths as a result of hanging and accidental deaths as a result of drowning seem to be the major contributing causes of violent asphyxial deaths.

Keywords

• violent asphyxial death
• mortuaries
• autopsy
• suicide