19.Frequency and Postmortem Findings of Exhumation Cases in Sukkur Division
Abdul Waheed1, Iqbal Ahmed Khan2, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur3, Naveed Ali Qadri4,
Perwaz Alam5 and Hari Ram6
ABSTRACT
Objective: To describe the frequency and postmortem findings of exhumation cases performed in Sukkur division.
Study Design: Observational retrospective analysis
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the different areas of the Sukkur Division from January, 2016 to December, 2021.
Materials and Methods: 77 dead bodies were excavated from different regions of Sukkur division during the specified period within 1 year of burial at the graveyard site. Different variables e.g., sex, age, condition of the dead body, cause and manner of death were analyzed.
Results: Males were more (n=59, 76.6%) victims than females. The age range of cases was 21-30 years (mean age 37.44 ± 11.78 years). Only in 25 cases (32.46%), the cause of death was determined, of which most (n=15, 19.48%) deaths occurred due to intracranial hemorrhage and shock due to hard blunt head trauma, followed by Fire arm injury (n=5,6.49%), Poisoning(n=3, 3.89%) and drowning (n=1, 1.29%). In two-thirds of cases (67.53%), the cause of death remained undetermined because of advanced putrefaction of bodies. Partial decomposition was observed in (33.76%) of cases whereas (61.03%) of the bodies were moderate to severely decompose.
Conclusion: Males are more victims in exhumations performed with young adolescent cases are common. The most common manner of death reports is homicidal while the cause of death is not determined in the majority of cases due to advanced putrefaction. Whereas, intracranial hemorrhage and shock due to hard blunt trauma followed by Fire arm injury are the common causes of death.
Key Words: Exhumation, Postmortem examination, homicidal, accidental
Citation of article: Abdul Waheed, Khan IA, Talpur MGA, Qadri NA, Alam P, Ram H. Frequency and Postmortem findings of Exhumation cases in Sukkur Division. Med Forum 2022;33(10):84-87.