A One-year Prospective Study of Epidemiological Profile of Medico-legal Autopsy Cases Conducted at a Center in Chennai

Forensic autopsy is of great importance in various processes of the criminal justice system. The death of a person may be natural or unnatural, and autopsy findings have considerable bearing on the legal implications. Trauma resulting from accidents, assaults, and violent asphyxia fatalities is the primary cause of unnatural deaths in India. This was a prospective descriptive study aimed to analyze the epidemiologic profile of medico-legal autopsies ( n = 1510) conducted at a Government Royapettah Hospital, Chennai, during the year 2024. Natural death was seen in 51.58% ( n = 779) of cases, with the respiratory system (36.8%) and cardiovascular system (34.7%) involved in most of these cases. Male predominance was observed, and most cases belonged to the age group between 41 and 50 years ( n = 587), followed by 31–40 years ( n = 291). Among unnatural deaths ( n = 731), asphyxia deaths formed the bulk of cases, with 346 cases of hanging and 74 cases of drowning. Other major contributors were road traffic accidents ( n = 139), followed by falls from height ( n = 41), poisoning ( n = 39), and electrocution ( n = 27). Deaths due to assault, mechanical injuries, and snakebites formed the rest. The results reflected the prevailing mortality pattern in the region. Respiratory and cardiovascular causes formed the bulk of natural deaths. Among the unnatural deaths, a high frequency was noticed in young married males, attributable to various social stressors, family responsibilities, and work conditions. Such deaths could have been prevented or minimized by creating safety awareness and hazard alertness among the population at risk.