Unintentional Deaths among Adolescents in the Age Group of 10 to 19 Years: An Autopsy Study

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is commonly regarded as a healthy time of life, with apeak in strength, speed, fitness,
and many cognitive abilities. However, major shifts in health take placearound puberty as new health risks with
potentially life threatening consequences become prominent. Unnatural deaths are the leading killer of today’s
teenage and adolescent generation, as the patterns have changed from infections to social aetiologies during the
lastdecades. The unnatural deaths may be due to unintentional or intentional injuries.Unintentional injuries are
mainly accidents. Intentional injuries are mainly suicidesand homicide.
Aims and Objectives: To know the type, incidence, and sex wise distribution of unintentional deaths of adolescents
in the age group of 10 – 19 years.
Material Methods: Department of Forensic Medicine, BMC & RI (Victoria & Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospitals)
is a postgraduate institute that conducts autopsies of allsudden, suspicious, unnatural deaths which occur in and
around Bengaluru. The present study is a descriptive study of unintentional unnatural death cases of Adolescents
(10 to 19 years) which were autopsied at BMC & RI, Bengaluru for a period of18 months from Dec. 2014 to May
2016.
Results: Out of 148 cases of unintentional injury, 109 cases were males (73.64%) and 39 cases were females (26.36%).
Among unintentional deaths majority were due to RTA 58 cases (39.19%), Accidental Scalds /Burninjuries 30
cases (20.27%), Accidental drowning 18 cases (12.16%), Electrocution 14 cases (9.45%), Accidental railway injury
sustained 15 cases (10.13%), Accidental fall 11cases (7.43%), Snakebite 1case (0.67%), Blastexplosion 1case (0.67%).
Conclusion: Adolescent age is an important stage in development. Death in adolescentage is a potential life loss
to family and society to some extent and reflects socioeconomic and Medical Health Carestatus at the National
and Regional levels. Accurate legal investigations is essential increating awareness among National policymakers
and educators/caregivers, to prevent adolescent deaths. To conclude useful and informative determinants of
adolescent death were identified in this study. Since there is very little information regarding adolescent death in
developing countries like ours. This suggests that each and every center conducting autopsies should come up
with such studies to reflect the magnitude of the occurrence of unnatural adolescent deaths.