1Dy. Chief Medical Officer, Health-II, Dist: Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India
2Medical Teacher (Trainee Reserve, MD Forensic Medicine), Burdwan Medical College & Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
3Medical Officer (Medico-Legal), Police Case Hospital, Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India
4District Tuberculosis Officer, Hooghly district, West Bengal, India
5Prof & Head of Department (FSM), Burdwan Medical College & Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
*Corresponding author: Dilip Kumar Biswas, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health- II, Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Post: Tamluk, Dist: Purba Medinipur, Pin: 721636, West Bengal, India. Phone: +919433200804, Fax: 03228-266489, Email: dilipbiswas29@gmail.com
Online published on 7 August, 2013.
There was limited information in postmortem data. We described distribution of unnatural deaths, to find out factors associated with these deaths and generated hypothesis regarding un-natural deaths in a sub-district, West Bengal, India.
It was a cross sectional study of postmortem data performed at Police Case Hospital Barrackpore, district North 24 Parganas; West Bengal, India during January 2008 to October 2010. We collected data in a data collecting format from the inquest and autopsy surgeon's reports. We analyzed data in epi-info and excel soft were.
Among the total 2581 un-natural deaths during the period of 33 months, the maximum numbers of unnatural deaths cases attended for post mortem were men 70% (1799. The highest death observed in 19 - 28 years 21% (550), followed by 29 - 38 years 20% (504). The sub-district catered 18 police station (PS) and maximum cases rushed for postmortem from Titagar PS 20% (515), followed by Jagaddal PS 15% (393). The majority of these deaths were Hindu 82.7% (2108) and Muslim 9% (231), and 48% (1245) of them were married, 24% (631) unmarried, 16% (407) unemployed and 19% (499) were housewife by profession.
Of total post mortem cases, highest numbers were suicidal death 45% (1159) followed by accidental 35% (908) and 6% (156) homicidal. Psychiatric illness and family conflict were related to suicidal deaths [OR 36, 95% CI 25–52 and OR 15, 95% CI 13–19].
Young men were main victim of unnatural deaths. Psychiatric problems were associated with suicidal death. We recommended social counseling and convergent activities with different sectors and further studies for prevention of unnatural deaths.
Un-natural Death, Postmortem, Suicide, Psychiatric Illness, West Bengal, India
