The Statistical Analysis on the Legal Autopsy Cases in Gwang-ju and Chonnam Area of Korea in 2009 and 2010 / 대한법의학회지

ABSTRACT

Analyzing the data associated with the causes and manners of death in each region is important to make policies for the national public health, because it can be basis for prevention of future crimes and treatment of diseases. To establish regional basic data of the 245 autopsy cases performed at the department of Forensic Medicine of Chonnam National University Medical School in 2009 and 2010, each case was statistically analyzed according to the causes of death and the manners of death. The results are as follows; 1) the total number of legal autopsy was 245 (178 males and 67 females). The number of the 5th decade (64 cases) and the 6th decade (51 cases) occupied near 50 percent (46.9%) of total cases. 2) unnatural deaths were 154 cases (62.9%), and natural deaths were 91 cases (37.1%). In 154 cases of unnatural deaths, suicides were 27 cases (11.0%), homicides were 52 cases (21.2%), accidental deaths were 43 cases (17.6%), and undetermined deaths were 32 cases (13.1%). 3) Among 91 natural deaths, deaths of cardiac origin were 57 cases (62.6%) and it was a leading cause of death in natural deaths. Deaths due to disease of cerebral vascular system were 11 cases (12.1%), deaths due to respiratory system were 9 cases (9.9%). 4) Child deaths under the age of 10 were 9 cases (3.6%). Four cases were homicide, 2 cases were accident, and 3 cases were natural deaths. Conclusively, in these area victims between thirties and forties are taking the most proportion, unnatural deaths are more than natural deaths. In unnatural deaths, the order of frequency is homicide, accidental death, suicide, in natural death, neurocardiovacular disease is predominant.