Study of Unnatural Deaths in Pediatric Age Group at Tertiary Care Centre
Authors/Creators
- 1. Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Radha Devi Jageshwari Memorial Medical College & Hospital, Turki, Muzaffarpur, Bihar
- 2. Senior Resident, Department of Microbiology, Patna Medical College, Patna, Bihar
- 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Patna Medical College, Patna, Bihar
- 4. Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Radha Devi Jageshwari Memorial Medical College & Hospital, Turki, Muzaffarpur, Bihar
- 5. Professor and Head of Department, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Radha Devi Jageshwari Memorial Medical College & Hospital, Turki, Muzaffarpur, Bihar
Description
Background: People are exposed to a variety of risks as they grow from childhood to maturity, which may cause unnatural deaths by impairing social, mental, and physical welfare. Examining trends in untimely deaths aids interested parties in developing strategies to stop the loss of valuable human capital. Methods: From March 2016 to August 2017, a descriptive study utilizing purposive sampling was carried out at PMCH, Patna. Data from autopsy of unnatural deaths among the pediatric age range (0–18 years) was collected using pre-tested structured proforma. The police reports, trustworthy witnesses of the deceased, histopathological/hospital records, and post-mortem reports were used to gather information about the sociodemographic features, pattern of injuries, and cause of death. By presenting the data in the appropriate tables and computing descriptive statistics like mean, median, standard deviation, and percentages, the data from this study was statistically examined. Results: Of the 832 cases, 703 (84.5%) resulted in unnatural deaths, with 8.8% of those cases being children in that age range. Of those, 51 (82.2%) belonged to the age range of 12 to 18 years, with 4 cases (6.5%) each for 5 to 12 years and preschool age (3-5 years). Three cases (4.8%) were of toddlers (1-3 years), and there were no instances reported among newborns. In 35 cases, there was a preponderance of men (56%). The maximum number of deaths 30 cases, or 48.39% occurred in the evening. In the current study, social class II accounted for the greatest number of victims (38 cases), whereas social class I accounted for the fewest (only 1 case). Of the 62 cases, 37 (or 60%) resulted in deliberate deaths, 1 (or 3% of cases) was homicidal, 36 (or 97%) were suicidal, and 25 (or 40%) were accidental fatalities. Out of the 36 suicidal cases in the current study, 26 cases (42%), or hanging, were the most frequently utilized means of suicide. Burns and drowning each accounted for one occurrence (8%), followed by hanging. Of the 62 cases, only 12 (19%) had treatment before to death, and the remaining 50 (81%) did not receive treatment. Conclusion: According to this study, parents and other caregivers have a huge duty to watch over their children. To give policy decisions the justification they need to implement the appropriate interventions, the public health burden of all unnecessary fatalities must be evaluated.
Abstract (English)
Background: People are exposed to a variety of risks as they grow from childhood to maturity, which may cause unnatural deaths by impairing social, mental, and physical welfare. Examining trends in untimely deaths aids interested parties in developing strategies to stop the loss of valuable human capital. Methods: From March 2016 to August 2017, a descriptive study utilizing purposive sampling was carried out at PMCH, Patna. Data from autopsy of unnatural deaths among the pediatric age range (0–18 years) was collected using pre-tested structured proforma. The police reports, trustworthy witnesses of the deceased, histopathological/hospital records, and post-mortem reports were used to gather information about the sociodemographic features, pattern of injuries, and cause of death. By presenting the data in the appropriate tables and computing descriptive statistics like mean, median, standard deviation, and percentages, the data from this study was statistically examined. Results: Of the 832 cases, 703 (84.5%) resulted in unnatural deaths, with 8.8% of those cases being children in that age range. Of those, 51 (82.2%) belonged to the age range of 12 to 18 years, with 4 cases (6.5%) each for 5 to 12 years and preschool age (3-5 years). Three cases (4.8%) were of toddlers (1-3 years), and there were no instances reported among newborns. In 35 cases, there was a preponderance of men (56%). The maximum number of deaths 30 cases, or 48.39% occurred in the evening. In the current study, social class II accounted for the greatest number of victims (38 cases), whereas social class I accounted for the fewest (only 1 case). Of the 62 cases, 37 (or 60%) resulted in deliberate deaths, 1 (or 3% of cases) was homicidal, 36 (or 97%) were suicidal, and 25 (or 40%) were accidental fatalities. Out of the 36 suicidal cases in the current study, 26 cases (42%), or hanging, were the most frequently utilized means of suicide. Burns and drowning each accounted for one occurrence (8%), followed by hanging. Of the 62 cases, only 12 (19%) had treatment before to death, and the remaining 50 (81%) did not receive treatment. Conclusion: According to this study, parents and other caregivers have a huge duty to watch over their children. To give policy decisions the justification they need to implement the appropriate interventions, the public health burden of all unnecessary fatalities must be evaluated.
Files
IJPCR,Vol15,Issue12,Article239.pdf
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Additional details
Dates
- Accepted
-
2023-11-30
Software
- Repository URL
- https://impactfactor.org/PDF/IJPCR/15/IJPCR,Vol15,Issue12,Article239.pdf
- Development Status
- Active
References
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