Profile of medicolegal cases at Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, Punjab.

Drawing public attention and awareness towards traumatic casualties is important to prevent unnatural deaths, this possibly could reduce incidence of such cases. A two years retrospective study from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2009, to analyze causative agents, manner of cases and their outcome was carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, a rural area of Punjab. This study was conducted to understand the magnitude and pattern of medico-legal cases in this region. The study revealed that road traffic accidents (59.4%) constituted the majority of the medico-legal cases out of total 784, followed by poisoning and fall from height (12.1% and 9.4% respectively). Male preponderance was quite evident (5:1). People between the age group of 21 – 30 years (33.8%) were most prone to such casualties. The peak time of the incidences was during 1601 to 2000 hours (33.5%) and the maximum cases admitted in the month of September (11.7%).

Aluminium phosphide fatalities: A 24 years experience.

A 24 years autopsy study (1982-2006) of acute poisoning deaths owing to aluminium phosphide from a tertiary care hospital of Northern India (Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh revealed that mortality due to acute poisoning constitued 12.6% of the total unnatural fatalities and out of which 51.3% were because of this fumigant insecticide. The first victim reported in 1982 and its proportion, which was 20% in years 1982 to 86, increased to 73% between the years 1994-98 and then decreased to 49% of the total acute poisoning fatalities in 2002-06. Peak incidence was observed in the age group of 21-25 years (31%) and least in the age group of beyond 65 years (3%). The proportion of suicidal deaths increased from 20% to 54% between these periods. Sales workers / businessmen (15%), office workers (10.7%) followed by student (10.4%), among the males and domestic workers (23%), students (10.4%) in females were the main victims of suicidal poisoning. 53% male victims were married where as 59.4% female victims were unmarried. 52.4% were from the urban areas.

Profile of fatal poisoning in and around Jamnagar.

The paper presents the study of 132 cases of poisoning received in the Dept of forensic Medicine M.P. Shah Medical College, Jamnagar for post-mortem examination (PME) during the span of one year. Out of 826 PME done during the study period 132 (15.98 %) cases were that of poisoning. The cases were then analysed on various epidemiological parameters feeding the information in the proforma prepared for this purpose. We concluded that majority of victims were married, Hindu, males from rural area and low socio economic group. Majority of victims died within 1-6 hours of consumption of poison. Suicidal cases were for more commoner than accidental one. No case of homicidal poisoning was detected in present study. Chemical analysis of viscera was done in 115(87.12 %) cases (snake bite cases excluded). During the span of study we could get report of C.A. in 98 (85.21 %) cases. Insecticides still toped the list as killer no one, while snakebite was second most common fatal poisoning. This study differs from most of the contemporary studies in one important aspect that is we could get C. A. report in large no of cases. C.A. reports were positive in 90 per cent cases.