Prevalence of homicidal injuries by sharp force trauma at sukkur

OBJECTIVE: To document the prevalence of most frequently targeted anatomical sites of the body focused on gender vulnerability due to sharp force trauma, referred for autopsy at the mortuary of medico-legal section of Civil Hospital Sukkur

DURATION AND SETTING: Medico-legal section of Civil Hospital Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College Sukkur from January 2008 to December2010

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive, retrospective

MATERIAL METHODS: Medico-legal record of 100 cases autopsied from 2008-10 at the mortuary of medico-legal section Civil Hospital, GMMMC Sukkur, were thoroughly examined. The variables considered were gender, age, injury pattern, cause of death, defense wounds and common anatomical sites involved in homicidal outcome. Findings were expressed in numbers and percentages in a performa designed for the above study

RESULTS: The record of 100 autopsied cases at medico-legal section of Civil Hospital, GMMMC Sukkur, showed that homicidal injuries by sharp force trauma were common with age group 29- 30 years, males were 65[65%] and the females were 35[35%] the mean age remained 30.88. 18 [18%] showed single injury and 82[82%] have multiple injuries. 46[46% ] of death was due to hemorrhage and the rest 54 [54%] was due to injury to vital organs. Defense wounds were seen in 26[26%] and the remaining 74 [74%] were without defense wounds. The commonest anatomical part targeted in males was abdomen 25[25%] and in females was neck 30[30%]

CONCLUSION: The study showed that injuries by sharp force trauma were common with age group 29-30 years with male dominance. The injuries were multiple and majority of victims had no defense wounds. The most targeted anatomical area in males was abdomen and in neck females

In majority of the cases, cause of death was injury to vital organs. The onset of sharp force fatalities will be reduced if proper laws are framed to strengthen law enforcing agencies to apprehend the culprits for appropriate punishments according to law

Four years profile of cases of as asphyxial death autopsied at Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical College / Hospital Sukkur

History of Asphyxial death is as old as human history. Homicide is oldest crime in human civilization and was started from murder of abel by the hand of cane. Homicide can be done by using mechanical asphyxia like, throatling, smoothering, and hanging. Similarly suicide can be done by means of hanging where throatling by one self is rare. In small children, old and feeble people smoothering is choice of homicide. Retrospective study. This study was carried out in the office of additional police surgeon and Forensic Medicine Department of Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical College Sukkur [GMMMC], of asphyxial death from 2007 to 2010. This retrospective study includes results of hundred autopsy examination carried out in the office of additional police surgeon and Forensic Medicine Department of Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical college Sukkur [GMMMC], of asphyxial death. Total period of study was four Years so that from 2007 to 2010. The study revealed that the individual in the third decade of life are maximally involved the ligature was a single loop in 77.7% cases and multiple in 22.3% cases. The most frequent non specific sign was congestion seen in 70% cases and petecheal haemorrhage in 78% cases. The hyoid bone was fractured in 30 cases. The associated injuries found were physical and sexual in nature in 73% of cases. The vast majority of cases of asphyxial death were as a result of strangulation, both manual and by means of rope [ligature]. Associated injuries of physical nature were present in 68% of cases. This reveals the cruelty of the criminals towards human being

Medico legal examination of alcoholics

Alcoholism is drinking alcoholic beverages at a level that interferes with physical health, mental health, and social, family, or job responsibilities. The use of alcoholic beverages is very common in western society. To examine alleged alcoholic intake with the objective to assess whether clinical evaluation is sufficient to declare the case as positive for alcoholism. The study includes examination of 100 cases in the office of additional Police Surgeon GMMC Hospital Sukhur over a period of 01 year from January 2009 to December 2009. All the subjects were males and they were 16 - 35 years of age. All the cases belonged to Sukhur city. Majority were from labour class [40%] and followed by business community, and others. Among them 95% were Muslim. Clinically 85% were positive but laboratory tests showed 70% positive cases in 5% the report was misplaced or pilfered. We found that laboratory confirmation should be done before declaring the cases positive; to avoid the pilferage of samples they should be sent to laboratory through proper and fool proof mechanism