Profile of Medico-Legal Autopsies Conducted at Tertiary Medico-Legal Centre in Northern Madhya Pradesh along with Effect of Lock Down
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/r09fha31Keywords:
Autopsy profile, Covid-19, Lockdown, Suicide.Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Medico-legal post-mortem examinations are performed as mandatory legal procedures for establishing the cause of death for people dying in sudden, suspicious and unnatural circumstances. When COVID-19 came to India and Indian government declared a complete lockdown, the autopsy profile is changed.
Aims & Objectives: Demographic study and effect of lockdown on autopsy profile.
Methods: The present study is a retrospective study carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, GRMC, Gwalior Madhya Pradesh during the period of 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020 and analysis of a total of 2170 cases, brought to the mortuary for medico-legal autopsy examination. Later on, the effect of lockdown is evaluated on the autopsy profile.
Result: The majority of victims were male 1571 (72.4%) cases and female 599 (27.6%) cases. The maximum number of post-mortem done in the age group 21-40 years was 1131 (52.12 %) cases and the minimum in the age group 0-10 year were 56 (02.58%) cases. Manners of death due to natural causes were 170 (07.8%) cases and unnatural 2000 (92.20%) cases. The Indian government declared a complete lockdown on the evening of 24 March 2020 for 21 days, which was further extended with some relaxation. Due to this event; the least number of autopsies was done in April (4.5%) which increased to its normal pattern by the end of June (10.6%). During this period i.e. April; there was a slight decrease in male victims (64.3%) and a slight increase in female victims (35.7%).
Conclusion: This study was conducted to determine the effect of lockdown on the autopsy profile. Our study shows that the effects of lockdownwere majorly seen in April month and later on, there was almost no effect of lockdown.
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