“A preliminary analysis of medicolegal autopsies performed over five years in a rural health district of Maharashtra state of India”

A retrospective analysis of total 4042 medicolegal deaths was undertaken which were autopsied at Shri. V.N. Government Medical College, Yavatmal (MS.) India, during the period of five years 1997–2001. The study showed the highest deaths in the age group of 21–30 years (28.48%) and poisoning was found to be the commonest cause of death (29.96%). Male to female ratio was 1:0.68 in general but it was 1: 4.20 in deaths due to burns (fire), which was the second most leading cause in the series (23.30%). All the deaths were those, which exclusively required the medicolegal autopsies, which averaged 808 per year and 68 per month. No death due to firearms, blasts or railway injuries was noticed in this rural health district of the State of Maharashtra, India. This study aims to draw attention of all concerned to raise community awareness to reduce the tragic loss of lives by suicides, accidents and homicides.