Role of Coronary Thrombosis in Sudden Deaths-Autopsy based Study

Abstract

Death occurring instantaneously or within one hour of the onset of the morbid symptoms. As per the World Health Organization 24 hours is the limitation period.(9) Sudden death is within 24 hours of the onset of the symptoms, but in forensic practice most of the deaths occur within minutes or even in seconds of onset of the symptoms.(16) Or Sudden cardiac death is usually from cardiac cause, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms. Sudden death is important from medico legal point of view, as it raises a suspicious of foul play. When a natural death is very rapid, the cause is almost inevitably Cardiovascular. (16). Acute occlusion of coronary artery results from thrombosis or haemorrhage within the walls of the artery leads to ischemia. Death of foam cells by necrosis/apoptosis leading to necrotic lipidcore formation. Finally rupture of fibrous cap or endothelial erosion, exposure to thrombogenic substrate and arterial thrombosis. An improved understanding of the patho physiology of atherosclerosis providing novel direction for its prevention and treatment. The Study is prospective and one hundred hearts are examined from the different age groups of males and females, during the medico legal Autopsies to know the severity of Atherosclerosis, among them three cases are reported as sudden deaths, though the sample size is minimum, significant results are obtained and the results are statistically analysed.