The Statistical Analysis on the Postmortem Inspection Cases of National Forensic Service Seoul Institute in 2015 / 대한법의학회지

Since March 1, 2015, the National Forensic Service Seoul Institute has commenced postmortem inspections at the death scene in agreement with the Korean National Police Agency. Included regions were mainly Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Wide Area 8 (Gangseo, Yangcheon, Guro police stations), and several other areas. In total, 837 postmortem inspection cases from March 1 to December 31, 2015, were analyzed statistically. Of these, 168 were autopsy cases, and the rates were 20% (67 cases) in Gangseo Police, 14.5% (30 cases) in Yangcheon Police, and 22% (57 cases) in Guro Police stations. For 269 cases of “unknown cause of death”, the autopsy rates were 44% in Gangseo Police, 36% in Yangcheon Police, and 47% in Guro Police stations. For 82 cases of fall from height, autopsy rates were 17% (n=14). Of the 133 cases of hanging, 121 cases were classified as suicide at the scene with a 2.5% (n=3) autopsy rate. Twelve cases were classified as an undetermined manner of death at the scene with a 33% (n=4) autopsy rate. The distribution of the “manner of death” was natural death for 29% (n=250), unnatural death for 38% (n=318), and other and undetermined manner of death for 32% (n=269) of cases. Proportions of dispatch times were 49.2% (412 cases) during work hours (09:00-18:00), 15.7% (n=131) during evening hours (18:00-21:00), 13% (n=110) at night (21:00-24:00), 10% (n=88) at dawn (24:00-06:00), and 11% (n=96) during morning hours (06:00-09:00). The male to female sex ratio was 1.96:1 (556:281). These statistics are valuable for evaluation of postmortem inspections by experts.

Manejo del escenario de muerte y autopsia médico legal / Management scenario of death and autopsies

Desde su origen y hasta la actualidad, la ciencia forense ha contribuido con la Administración de Justicia en todo el mundo. En Costa Rica, es el Departamento de Medicina Legal el que a través de sus diferentes secciones se encarga de efectuar los exámenes y evacuar las consultas médico forenses en los casos cuyo conocimiento corresponda al Organismo de Investigación Judicial y más específicamente a través de la Sección de Patología Forense cuando se requiere la asistencia a los escenarios de muertes y la realización de las Autopsias Médico Legales. Debido a la relevancia de la escena de muerte como primera etapa en el proceso de autopsia aportando información valiosa para la comprensión de los hallazgos de la misma así como la importancia de ésta al determinar la causa y manera de muerte, es necesario tener claro la definición de ambos conceptos así como las características y parámetros de valoración mínimos de cada uno que permitan realizarlos siempre con el mayor cuidado y esmero al tratarse de procesos únicos e irrepetibles...

A Positional Asphyxia in an Unusual Place (a Laundry) / 대한법의학회지

Authors had experienced an unusual case of asphyxial death. A healthy woman was found dead in a laundry nakedly with her forearms being firmly fitted between inner tub and outer case of laundry. It was very difficult to explain why the woman was found in a narrow and small laundry tub nakedly. The autopsy findings were as following : Only small external bruises and excoriations were on trunk, arms and knees. On internal examinations there were no particular diseases and traumas. So to determine the manner and cause of death, it was essential to examine the place and the laundry. After investigation of the death scene and the laundry, we concluded that the woman was dead because of asphyxiation due to mechanical interference with pulmonary ventilation resulting from the unusual body position in the small laundry. Drunken state might be a crucial factor to death.

Positional Asphyxia of the Paralyzed: Implicated on the View of Death Scene / 대한법의학회지

Positional or postural asphyxia, which is clodely allied to traumatic asphyxia, means a fatal condition causing mechanical interference with pulmonary ventilation resulting from the adoption of particular body positions. To distinguish it from other form of asphyxia may be extremely difficult and therefore we need a full information about death scene and victim's history. The authors had experienced a case of putried corpse who had a history of paraplegia caused by traffic accident several years ago and he was found dead in trapped between bed and opened door of refrigerator. The autopsy finding was negative because of decomposition and toxicology was also negative. We will emphasize on the importance of finding of death scene.