A Study of Unnatural Death Profile in Mangalore, Southern India 2011-2020

Authors

  • Shodhan Rao Pejavar
  • Francis N. P. Monteiro
  • Neena Priyadarshini AV
  • Shyna Quadras
  • Rashmi R Aithal
  • Haneil Larson D’Souza

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v17i2.19194

Keywords:

Medicolegal autopsy; Postmortem; Road Traffic Accidents (R.T.A.) Unnatural deaths

Abstract

When death is unexpected, sudden, litigious, or unexplained, or if it is a criminal death, an autopsy becomes imperative.A forensic autopsy or medicolegal autopsy is “an examination conducted postmortem to address medicolegal objectives. A comprehensive profile of medicolegal autopsies undertaken over ten years (2011–2020) was evaluated at the A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Mangaluru/Mangalore. Of the 1842 autopsied incidents, Sixty-two per cent of the autopsied victims were males. Seventy per cent of the overall deaths were between 20 and 49 years old. Road Traffic Accidents (R.T.A.) accounted for 45% of autopsied cases.The 3rd and 4th decades showed peak incidences of Road Traffic Accidents, fall from height, drowning, and burns.Seventy-six percent of unnatural deaths were accidental, 71.9% were due to road traffic incidents. Unnatural deaths do have medicolegal, social and preventive facets. Despite preventive measures, the dominance of Road traffic fatalities is a crucial cause of concern. The multipronged approach involving individuals, family, society, and law enforcement agencies will go a long way in preventing this vast and unfortunate loss of human lives because of accidents

Author Biographies

Shodhan Rao Pejavar

Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, A. J. Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Francis N. P. Monteiro

Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Melaka, Malaysia

Neena Priyadarshini AV

Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Malabar Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Modakkallur, Calicut, Kerala, India

Shyna Quadras

Pre-Med Student, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, U.S.A,

Rashmi R Aithal

Senior Resident, Department of Anaesthesiology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India,

Haneil Larson D’Souza

Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal.

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Published

2023-04-05

How to Cite

Shodhan Rao Pejavar, Francis N. P. Monteiro, Neena Priyadarshini AV, Shyna Quadras, Rashmi R Aithal, & Haneil Larson D’Souza. (2023). A Study of Unnatural Death Profile in Mangalore, Southern India 2011-2020. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 17(2), 147–151. https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v17i2.19194