Abstract
Background: Medico-legal autopsies form an integral and indispensable part of an investigation of sudden suspicious death. The profile of medico legal autopsy cases is important in order to know the death statistics in a region due to unnatural causes and also help to address the demographic needs according to the mortality statistics specific to that region.
 Material and Method: The present study is a one year retrospective study of autopsies performed in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Sardar Patel Medical College & P. B. M. Hospital, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India from January 2018 to December 2018 comprising 810 cases.
 Aim: This study was conducted to find out the profile of different types of cases and to assess the manner & cause of their death.
 Result: Out of 810 cases, maximum number of autopsies were in third decade of life (260 cases, 32.10%). Male cases predominated over the female cases, which were 638 (78.77%). Hindus were majority in number with 734 cases (90.62%). Accident, Suicide and Homicide deaths were 504 (62.22%), 177 (21.85%) & 24 (02.96%) cases respectively. Maximum number of deaths were due to road traffic accidents with 313 cases (38.64%) followed by poisoning with 140 cases (17.28%).
 Conclusion: It is observed that majority of cases were in 3rd decade of life and Preponderance of male sex is seen over female sex. The most common cause of death is road traffic accident, probably owing to higher frequency of transportation.
 Keywords: Autopsy, Road traffic accidents, Poisoning, Burn, Hanging.
Highlights
Medicolegal autopsies form an integral and indispensable part of an investigation of sudden suspicious death
The profile of medico legal autopsy cases is important in order to know the death statistics in a region due to unnatural causes and help to address the demographic needs according to the mortality statistics specific to that region
Maximum number of deaths were due to road traffic accidents with 313 cases (38.64%) followed by poisoning with 140 cases (17.28%)
Summary
Medicolegal autopsies form an integral and indispensable part of an investigation of sudden suspicious death. The profile of medico legal autopsy cases is important in order to know the death statistics in a region due to unnatural causes and help to address the demographic needs according to the mortality statistics specific to that region. Medicolegal autopsy, which is performed on the requisition of the legal authority in circumstances relating to suspicious, sudden, obscure, unnatural, litigious or criminal deaths, and the information so derived is applied for legal purposes to assist the course of justice.[2]. The objective of postmortem examination ( known as autopsy or necropsy) is to establish the identity of a body, when not known, to ascertain the time since death, and the cause of death; and whether the death was natural or unnatural and if unnatural, whether it was homicidal, suicidal, or accidental. In case of newly born infants, the question of live birth and viability assume importance and should be determined.[3]
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