*Assistant Professor, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, S.R.M. Medical College, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu-603203. E-mail: drfmsrm@gmail.com/drfm_mmc@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 15 July, 2013.
It is a prospective study of 50 fatal head injury cases whose medico legal autopsy was done in the Institute of Forensic Medicine, at the Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital, Chennai from December 2007 to June 2008. In the present study males victims (47 cases, 96%) outnumbered females victims (3 cases, 6%) with an approximate male female ratio of 16:1.Road traffic accidents (RTA) involving mainly pedestrians and two wheeler users were the most common cause for fatal head injury seen in 43 cases, 86%. Out of the total 50 cases of fatal head injury, brain stem injury was seen in 41 cases, 82%. Skull bone fracture was seen in 26 cases, 52%. Temporal and parietal bones were common site of fracture seen in 17 cases, 34%.The mean survival period was 73.42 hours, range being 6 hours to 600 hours.
Head injury, Primary brain stem injury, Secondary brain stem injury, Road Traffic Accident
