1Associate Professor,
2Tutor,
3Associate Professor,
4Assistant Professor,
5Tutor
Autopsy is an established tool to ascertain the cause of death in cases where clinician fails to reveals causes of death during on-going treatments or received dead bodies. The aim of our study was to define the etiology of natural deaths. The present study was carried out to find out the incidence and causes of natural deaths in cases brought for medicolegal autopsies. Age and sex wise incidence showed 820 males and 220 females with a male: female approximate ratio of 4:1. Highest number of cases (273) was observed in the age group of 51-60 years (26.25%). The commonest cause of death was found in cardio-vascular system among which coronary insufficiency was cause of death in 54.52% cases, followed by Other causes include respiratory system diseases, hepatic diseases, septicemia, central nervous system diseases and carcinoma etc.
This retrospective study was conducted to find out the incidence, demographic profile and causes of death in cases of natural death brought for medicolegal autopsies conducted at mortuary room of P.D.U. Medical College, Rajkot for the period of 1 year during March-2018 to February-2019. Autopsies of 2982 dead bodies were conducted. The detailed case history, police records, hospital records, if available, and post-mortem examination reports were studied. Data were entered in Microsoft excel spreadsheet and the findings were statistically analysed using descriptive statistics. The causes of death were determined either by external and internal examination or by histo-pathological examination/chemical analysis of viscera. Partially decomposed, advanced decomposed or skeletonized bodies, with no internal or external injuries sufficient to cause death and histological and toxicological reports failing to reveal any abnormal findings, were also included.
