A Statistical Analysis on Legal Autopsy in Chung-cheong Area of Korea in 2001: The Central District of National Institute of Scientific Investigation.

Korean J Leg Med. 2002 May;26(1):47-54. Korean.

Department of Forensic medicine, Central District of National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Korea. mrkjhk@yahoo.co.kr

We evaluated the data of scene examinations and forensic autopsy cases performed in Chung-cheong area of Korea in 2001. This statistical analysis is the first report in this area. A total of 13 cases of medical examination and 480 cases of forensic autopsy were analysed. The summary of the results are ; 1. Scene examination on the spot performed 13 cases. Among these cases, 10 cases were unnatural death. 5 cases were not necessary for autopsy. 2. The number of male was 298 cases(62%) and that of female 169 (35%). Male was as 1.7 times as female. The thirties were 111 cases(23%), the forties 108 (23%), and these two decades occupied almost half(46%). 3. Unnatural deaths were 304 cases (63.3%), natural 133 cases (27.1%), and the unknown 43 cases (9.0%). Among 304 unnatural deaths, suicide was 42 cases(8.8%), homicide 110 cases (22.9%), accident 121 cases (25.2%), and the undetermined 31 cases (6.5%). Homicide occupied 50.4% of trauma, 60.9% of blunt force injury excluding traffic and fall-down injury, and 99.8% of sharp force injury. The homicide rate in asphyxia was 56.1%, but it went up to 67.6% excluding hanging. It showed only 2 cases (2.1%) of homicide in poisoning. 4. Traumatic deaths were 141 cases, occupying 46.4% of 304 unnatural deaths, followed by poisoning. Blunt trauma was 46 cases (32.6%) and the leading cause of death in traumatic death. Poisoning was 47 cases (15.5%), among which the agrochemicals were leading causes (46.8%). Thermal injuries were 32 cases (10.5%), electrocution 2 cases (0.7%), and starvation/neglect 2 cases (0.7%), and 16 cases were due to medical procedures(5.3%). 5. Among 133 natural deaths, heart disease were 74 cases (55.6%), and vascular diseases 23 (17.3%), so these cardiovascular diseases were added up to 97 cases (72.9%). 6. Child deaths under the age of 10 were 38 cases. Homicide was 20 cases (80%) out of 25 unnatural deaths. Neonates including still births were the leading period of age in unnatural death, counting 16 cases (42.1%).

Key words: Chung-cheong area, Statistical analysis, Legal autopsy, Scene examination