Korean J Leg Med.  2017 Nov;41(4):107-114. 10.7580/kjlm.2017.41.4.107.

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

• Yoo SJ
• Lee H
• Noh SJ

• KMID: 2397685
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2017.41.4.107

Abstract

This study aimed to obtain basic regional data of legal autopsy cases observed in the Jeollabuk-do province concerning causes and manner of death. We investigated 170 autopsy cases (114 males [67.0%] and 56 females [33%]) performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School, in 2016. Of these, seven (4.1%) were children aged <10 years. Regarding the manner of death, there were 95 unnatural deaths (55.9%), 69 natural deaths (40.6%), and six deaths from unknown causes (3.5%). Among the 95 unnatural deaths, 29 suicides (30.5%), 10 homicides (10.5%), 52 accidental deaths (54.7%), and four undetermined deaths (4.2%) were recorded. Concerning causes of unnatural death, there were 39 traumatic injury-related deaths (41.2%), 10 asphyxiations (10.5%), 25 poisonings (26.3%), 13 thermal injury-related deaths (13.7%), and eight deaths due to drowning (8.4%). The most common cause of unnatural death was injury from falls (n=15), followed by agrochemical poisoning (n=12), traffic injury (n=12), and death from fire (n=11). Of 69 natural deaths, 31 were from cardiac diseases (44.9%), eight from cerebral or vascular diseases (11.6%), 12 from digestive system diseases (17.4%), one from respiratory system disease (1.4%), five from endocrine/metabolic/nutritional disorders (7.2%), and nine due to causes of unknown origin (including sudden manhood and sudden infant death syndromes) (13.1%).

Keyword

Autopsy; Cause of death; Manner of death; Statistics; Jeollabuk-do

MeSH Terms

Accidental Falls
Autopsy*
Cause of Death
Child
Digestive System Diseases
Drowning
Female
Fires
Forensic Medicine
Heart Diseases
Homicide
Humans
Jeollabuk-do*
Korea*
Male
Poisoning
Respiratory System
Schools, Medical
Sudden Infant Death
Suicide
Vascular Diseases

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