This study reviews 1,993 coroners' autopsies performed at the Adeoyo and Ring Road State Hospitals, Ibadan, over a seven-year period (January 1994 to December 2000). The most common indication for a coroner's autopsy was accidental death (59.6%), followed by homicidal death (20.7%), sudden natural death (11.6%), maternal death (1.4%) and suicidal death (0.4%). The overall male to female ratio was 2.8:1 and the majority of victims were in the fourth decade of life. Road traffic accidents were the leading cause of accidental death. Homicidal deaths were 9.3 times more common in male than female victims and the most common mode of death was firearm injuries. In contrast to an earlier study from University College Hospital, Ibadan, the present study has revealed a predominance of accidental and homicidal deaths, with a relatively lower rate of maternal deaths.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.