Unintentional Deaths among Adolescents in the Age Group of 10 to 19 Years: An Autopsy Study

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is commonly regarded as a healthy time of life, with apeak in strength, speed, fitness,and many cognitive abilities. However, major shifts in health take placearound puberty as new health risks withpotentially life threatening consequences become prominent. Unnatural deaths are the leading killer of today’steenage and adolescent generation, as the patterns have changed from infections to social aetiologies during thelastdecades. The unnatural deaths may be due to unintentional or intentional injuries.Unintentional injuries aremainly accidents. Intentional injuries are mainly suicidesand homicide.Aims and Objectives: To know the type, incidence, and sex wise distribution of unintentional deaths of adolescentsin the age group of 10 – 19 years.Material Methods: Department of Forensic Medicine, BMC & RI (Victoria & Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospitals)is a postgraduate institute that conducts autopsies of allsudden, suspicious, unnatural deaths which occur in andaround Bengaluru. The present study is a descriptive study of unintentional unnatural death cases of Adolescents(10 to 19 years) which were autopsied at BMC & RI, Bengaluru for a period of18 months from Dec. 2014 to May2016.Results: Out of 148 cases of unintentional injury, 109 cases were males (73.64%) and 39 cases were females (26.36%).Among unintentional deaths majority were due to RTA 58 cases (39.19%), Accidental Scalds /Burninjuries 30cases (20.27%), Accidental drowning 18 cases (12.16%), Electrocution 14 cases (9.45%), Accidental railway injurysustained 15 cases (10.13%), Accidental fall 11cases (7.43%), Snakebite 1case (0.67%), Blastexplosion 1case (0.67%).Conclusion: Adolescent age is an important stage in development. Death in adolescentage is a potential life lossto family and society to some extent and reflects socioeconomic and Medical Health Carestatus at the Nationaland Regional levels. Accurate legal investigations is essential increating awareness among National policymakersand educators/caregivers, to prevent adolescent deaths. To conclude useful and informative determinants ofadolescent death were identified in this study. Since there is very little information regarding adolescent death indeveloping countries like ours. This suggests that each and every center conducting autopsies should come upwith such studies to reflect the magnitude of the occurrence of unnatural adolescent deaths.