Korean J Leg Med.  2015 Nov;39(4):99-108. 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.99.

A Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2014

Affiliations
  • 1Medical Examiner's Office, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Korea. drjangjungsik@gmail.com
  • 2Division of Forensic Medicine Investigation, National Forensic Service Seoul Institute, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3National Forensic Service, Wonju, Korea.

Abstract

Medicolegal autopsies are a vital tool for obtaining reliable injury mortality data. This study statistically analyzed the data obtained from medicolegal autopsies performed in Korea in 2014. A total of 5,324 deaths were analyzed by sex, age, manner of death, and cause of death. With respect to the manner of death, 56.3% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 38.4% were natural deaths, and 5.3% had unknown causes. Of the 2,998 unnatural deaths, 41.0% were determined to be accidental deaths; 28.1%, suicidal; 16.1%, homicidal; and 14.8%, undetermined. Of the total number of unnatural deaths, 38.8% were trauma-related, wherein falls accounted for 32.7%. Asphyxiation accounted for 16.3% of unnatural deaths; of these, the predominant cause was hanging (59.4%). In addition, 15.0% of the unnatural deaths were due to drowning; 14.8%, poisoning; 11.3%, thermal injuries; 2.5%, complications arising from medical procedures; and 0.4%, electrocution, starvation, or neglect. Among the 2,042 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 49.0% and vascular diseases accounted for 17.3%. Of the 170 deaths among children under the age of 10, 38.8% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 54.1% were natural deaths, and 7.1% had unknown causes.

Keyword

Autopsy; Cause of death; Data interpretation, statistical; Korea

MeSH Terms

Autopsy*
Cause of Death
Child
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Drowning
Heart Diseases
Humans
Korea*
Mortality
Poisoning
Starvation
Vascular Diseases

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Korean J Leg Med. 2016;40(3):65-71.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2016.40.3.65.

Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsy Cases Performed in the Jeollabuk-do Province of Korea in 2016
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