Korean J Leg Med.  2014 Nov;38(4):145-154. 10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.4.145.

The Statistical Analysis on Legal Autopsy Performed in Korea during 2013 Year

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Forensic Medicine Investigation, Seoul Institute, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea. jsj9600@korea.kr
  • 2Medical Examiner's Office, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Korea.

Abstract

Medicolegal autopsy is a vital tool for obtaining reliable injury mortality data. This study statistically analyzed data obtained from medicolegal autopsies performed in Korea in 2013. The aim of this study was to analyze various aspects of the 4,861 deaths that were categorized as unusual in Korea in 2013. A total of 4,861 deaths were analyzed by gender, age, manner of death, and cause of death. Of the 4,861 deaths, 3,542 (73.3%) were of men and 1,302 (26.7%) were of women. With respect to the manner of death, 54.4% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 38.8% were natural deaths, and 6.9% had unknown causes. Of the 2,642 unnatural deaths, 45.0% were determined to be accidental deaths, 26.3% suicidal, 16.9% homicidal, and 11.8% undetermined. Of the total number of unnatural deaths, 42.1% were trauma-related deaths, for which falling down accounted for 33.8%. Asphyxiation accounted for 16.0% of unnatural deaths, and of these, the predominant cause was hanging (58.8%). In addition, 14.4% of deaths were due to drowning, 12.9% poisoning, 11.0% thermal injuries, 1.8% complications arising from medical procedures, and 0.8% electrocution, starvation, or neglect. Among the 1,886 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 52.0% and vascular diseases accounted for 16.9%. Of the 196 deaths among children under the age of 10 years, 41.8% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 45.1% were natural deaths, and 1.5% had unknown causes.

Keyword

Autopsy; Cause of death; Statistical data interpretation; Korea

MeSH Terms

Autopsy*
Cause of Death
Child
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Drowning
Female
Heart Diseases
Humans
Korea
Male
Mortality
Poisoning
Starvation
Vascular Diseases

Cited by  7 articles

A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2017
Ji Hye Park, Joo-Young Na, Bong Woo Lee, Kyung-moo Yang, Young Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2018;42(4):111-125.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.4.111.

A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2016
Ji Hye Park, Joo-Young Na, Bong Woo Lee, Young Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2018;42(1):8-21.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.1.8.

A Case Report of Suicide by Cutting the Tongue with a Pair of Scissors
Young Min Jo, Sang Han Lee
Korean J Leg Med. 2015;39(4):132-135.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.132.

A Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2014
Jung Sik Jang, Seon Jung Jang, Byung Ha Choi, Han Young Lee, Nak Eun Chung, Joong Seok Seo
Korean J Leg Med. 2015;39(4):99-108.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.99.

A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2015
Ji Hye Park, Joo-Young Na, Bong Woo Lee, Nak Eun Chung, Young Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2016;40(4):104-118.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2016.40.4.104.

Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsy Cases Performed in the Jeollabuk-do Province of Korea in 2016
Seung Jin Yoo, Ho Lee, Sang Jae Noh
Korean J Leg Med. 2017;41(4):107-114.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2017.41.4.107.

Analysis of Death due to Poisoning in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Areas
Woo-Young Choi, Hye-Jeong Kim, Joo-Young Na, Su-Jin Lee, Young-Jik Lee, Jong-Tae Park, Hyung-Seok Kim
Korean J Leg Med. 2016;40(3):72-77.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2016.40.3.72.


Reference

References

1. Kang DY, Kang HW, Kwak JS, et al. A textbook of legal medicine. Seoul: Jungmungak;1995. p. 14.
2. Pard EU. Consented autopsy. Korean J Leg Med. 2011; 35:85–91.
3. Lee HY. A statistical obsevation on medicolegal autopsy in 1977. Korean J Leg Med. 1998; 22:48–51.
4. Lee WT, Cho JH, Ki CD, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2001: the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Korean J Leg Med. 2002; 26:1–9.
5. Lee WT, Cho JH, Ki CD, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2002: the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Korean J Leg Med. 2003; 27:1–9.
6. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2003: the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Korean J Leg Med. 2004; 28:23–31.
7. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2004 (the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation). Korean J Leg Med. 2005; 29:121–9.
8. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2005 (the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation). Korean J Leg Med. 2006; 30:107–15.
9. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2006 (the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation). Korean J Leg Med. 2007; 31:139–46.
10. Choi M, Park JH, Lee HY, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2010 (the headquarters of National Forensic Service). Korean J Leg Med. 2011; 35:130–7.
11. Na JY, Park JP, Choi MS, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsies in 2011 (the headquarters of National Foresnsic Service). Korean J Leg Med. 2012; 36:165–73.
12. Na JY, Min BW, Lee YJ, et al. The statistical analysis on the legal autopsy cases in Gwang-ju and Chonnam area of Korea in 2007 and 2008. Korean J Leg Med. 2009; 33:32–9.
13. Na JY, Park JP, Park HJ, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsies performed in Korea during 2012 year. Korean J Leg Med. 2013; 37:198–207.
14. Korea Standard Classification of Disease (KCD) [Internet]. Daejeon: Statistics Korea;[cited. 2014 Nov 1. ]. Available from:. http://kostat.go.kr.
15. Hong CE. Pediatrics. 7th ed.Seoul: Dehan Textbook;2001. p. 15–6.
16. Korean Statistical Information Service [Internet]. Daejeon: Korean Statistical Information Service;[cited. 2014 Nov 1. ]. Available from:. http://kosis.kr/.
17. National Police Agency [Internet]. Seoul: National Police Agency;[cited. 2014 Nov 1. ]. Available from:. http://www.police.go.kr/.
18. Kapusta ND, Tran US, Rockett IR, et al. Declining autopsy rates and suicide misclassification: a cross-national analysis of 35 countries. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011; 68:1050–7.
19. Na JY, Min BW, Lee YJ, et al. The discrepancy of the causes of death between medical death certificates and autopsy reports. Korean J Leg Med. 2009; 33:10–8.
20. Huh GY, Kim KH, Jo GR, et al. Differences in the determination of cause and manner of 127 natural death cases by postmortem inspection and autopsy. Korean J Leg Med. 2013; 37:9–13.
Article
Full Text Links
  • KJLM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr