The Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsies in 2011 (The Headquarters of National Forensic Service)

Abstract

This is a statistical analysis of the data obtained from legal autopsies performed at the headquarters of the National Forensic Service during 2011. This report aims to analyze 2,723 cases.1. There were 1,995 (73.3%) cases involving mortalities among men and 707 (26.7%) among women; evidently, the number of deaths that occurred among men were twice as many as that among women. With respect to age, 694 (24.4%) deaths occurred in individuals aged in their forties and 658 (22.8%) among those in their fifties. 2. There were 1,437 (52.8%) cases of unnatural deaths, 1,159 (42.5%) cases of natural deaths, and 127 (4.7%) deaths from unknown causes. Among the 1,437 unnatural deaths, 483 (33.6%) were suicidal, 255 (17.7%) homicidal, 546 (38.0%) accidental, and 153 (10.6%) were of undetermined causes. 3. There were 618 cases of trauma-related death, accounting for 43.0% of the 1,437 unnatural deaths. Blunt trauma was the leading cause of trauma-related deaths, accounting for 174 (28.2%) cases. Deaths due to asphyxiation, among which hanging (187 cases, 64.7%) was the predominant cause, accounted for 289 cases. There were 192 (13.4%) deaths from poisoning, 151 (10.5%) from drowning, 139 (9.7%) from thermal injuries, 31 (2.2%) as a complication of medical procedures, and 14 (1.0%) from electrocutions. 4. Among the 1,159 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 600 (51.8%) deaths and vascular diseases accounted for 160 (13.8%) deaths. 5. There were 83 cases of death among children aged under 10; out of 33 unnatural deaths, 20 (24.1%) cases were homicidal.

Suicide by blunt head trauma – Two cases with striking similarities

“…In Korea, hanging was the most common method of suicide for both males and females. Poisoning, drowning, falling, and sharp force injury came next [3][4][5]. The blunt force injury was the most uncommon cause among the methods of suicide.…”

“…The blunt force injury was the most uncommon cause among the methods of suicide. Of those, only two cases were confirmed to have blunt head trauma as the singular cause of death [4,5].…”

A Statistical Analysis of Forensic Autopsies Performed in the Jungbu Province of Korea in 2020

“…10세 미만의 소아는 신생아 (neonatal period, 사산아를 포함하여 생후 1개월 미만), 영 아(infancy, 생후 1개월-1년 미만), 유아(preschool, 2-5세), 학령기(prepubertal, 6-9세)로 세분한 후 사망의 종류별로 재분류하였다. 통시적인 분석을 위하여 전국통계 연구의 결 과와 본 연구의 결과를 비교 분석하였다 [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. 1, 2).…”

Analysis of Death due to Poisoning in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Areas

“…미국의 경우 중독 환자의 발생원인, 원인물질, 임상 결과 등에 대한 자료를 인터넷으로 수집하는 전산체계(Toxic Exposure Surveillance System) 가 있으며, 2003년도 연례 보고서에 의하면 인구 천 명당 8.1 명이 독극물에 노출되고, 사망환자의 58%는 20-49세 사이 였다고 한다 [5]. 우리나라의 경우 매년 조사되는 법의부검 통 계에 따르면, 2011년도에는 중독사 192예(13.4%), 2012년도 에는 298명(11.5%), 2013년도에는 342명(12.9%)로 적지 않 은 비중을 차지하고 있으며, 가장 많은 원인은 모두 일산화 탄소 중독으로 보고되어 있다 [6][7][8]. 또한 약물 및 화학제품 이 쉽게 노출되어 있으면서 중독으로 인한 사고가 증가하고 있는 실정인데 [9], 이러한 상황에서 중독의 지역별, 계절, 성 별 및 연령별 분류 등 중독의 역학에 대해 분석하고 이해하는 것은 의료센터를 운영하고 치료 방향을 설정하는 데 매우 중 요하다.…”