1Asst. Professor of, Forensic Medicine, Maheshwara Medical College and Hospital, Pathancheru District, Medak, Telangana
2Professor of Forensic Medicine, People's College of Medical Sciences and Research Center, People's University, Bhopal
Exhumation is a Latin word ‘from the ground’ which means in its simplest form, the removal of human remains, including cremated remains from any place of burial. The main purpose of performing the exhumation is to determine the cause of death when foul play is suspected, but this is also done for identification purposes required in some civil and criminal cases. To determine the cause of death especially in homicidal cases but sometimes it is not determined and acknowledged as unascertained because examination of exhumed body is by no means infallible in revealing the cause of death.
To make a comprehensive analysis of the exhumation deaths conducted at Mortuary of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad.
It's a cross sectional Prospective study.
The present study was conducted over a period of Two years, during the said period total 20 exhumations were carried out in Hyderabad by the team of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad. Cases were studied thoroughly in Forensic Medicine Department of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad.
There were 15 male cases and 5 female cases. Male sex is showing predominance than over female. They were divided into five groups on age basis. Majority of the cases from both genders came in group 2 with 45% of cases. Out of the 20 cases of exhumation in almost 70% of cases the cause of death could be ascertained whereas in only 30% of case it could not be established. 30% of cause of death had been due to poisoning, 20% cases Asphyxia was the cause for the death.
The present study underlines the importance of such kind of examinations even after considerable postmortem intervals however need caution because with each passing day the morphological evidences may be deteriorated.
Forensic Pathology, Exhumation, Cause of Death, Autopsy
