The Statistical Analysis on Legal Autopsy Performed in Korea during 2012 Year

Abstract

This statistical analysis of 4,709 legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2012 was conducted to obtain primary data about and related variables. The analysis revealed the following:1. Of the total number of deaths, men accounted for and women, 26.8%. Evidently, the number of deaths among men was more than twice that among women. 2. With respect to mode of death, 54.8% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 39.2% were natural deaths, and 6.0% had unknown causes. Of the 2,581 unnatural deaths, 44.8% were accidental deaths; 27.2%, suicidal; 17.5%, homicidal; and 10.3%, undetermined. 3. Of the total number of unnatural deaths, 43.0% were trauma-related deaths, for which falling down was the leading cause, accounting for 33.5% cases. Asphyxiation was accounted for 17.2%, among which the predominant cause was hanging (55.3%). Moreover, 12.5% of deaths were due to drowning; 11.5%, poisoning; 11.2%, thermal injuries; 2.7%, complications in medical procedures; and 0.3%, electrocution, starvation, or neglect. 4. Among 1,847 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 50.2% and vascular diseases accounted for 16.7%. 5. There were 207 cases of deaths among children under the age of 10, of which 94 were unnatural and 49 were homicidal deaths. Of all cases, 9.2% had an unknown cause of death, and of these 67.6%, were putrefied or skeletonized bodies.

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].…”

Association of Blood Pressure Classification in Korean Young Adults According to the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines With Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease Events

“…Nevertheless, future studies that use other methods of blood pressure measurement are needed to validate the findings of this study, particularly since white coat hypertension has been reported to be prevalent among young adults. 34 Second, the operational definition of CVD may be prone to misdiagnosis, as evidenced by the unusually higher rate of CHD compared with stroke among men and the low autopsy rate (1.9% of all deaths according to a report in 2013 35 ) in South Korea. Although the operational definition of CVD used in this study has been adopted from multiple previous studies using the same data source, 17,18 future studies that use a more accurate definition of CVD are needed to validate these findings.…”

Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsy Cases Performed in the Jeollabuk-do Province of Korea in 2016

“…근에는 정기적으로 국립과학수사연구원에서 매년 전국적인 법의부검에 대한 통계자료를 발표하고 있다 [6][7][8][9]. 하지만 전 국 법의부검에 대한 총 집계자료로 제시되어, 지역의 특성 및 인구구조의 차이에 따른 지역별 비교에 어려움이 있다.…”