Epidemiological Study of Drowning in Yavatmal

Drowning is a form of death in which atmospheric air is prevented from entering the lungs due to submersion of body in water or any other fluid medium.

The present study is a retrospective research undertaken to study the fatal cases of drowning at the mortuary of department of Forensic Medicine, Shri V.N. Govt Medical College, Yavatmal. The duration of the study is 5 years (January 2006 to December 2010). The aim of this study was to know the incidence, trends according to sex and residency and season, characteristics of drowning cases, and the manner of death.

Total of 3560 cases were autopsied during the five year period, 2006 to 2010, of which 178 deaths i.e. 5% were due to drowning. Male victims predominated. Age group commonly involved was 20–29 years. Married were more in number. Suicidal drowning(57.3%) was the most common form of drowning followed by accidental(37.1%) and homicidal(3.4).