Analysis of Death Structures in the Pregnant Women Autopsied in the Period of 1976-1985

, Jung Jin Yun; , JucK Joon Hwang

Original Article

Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 1986;10(2):28-38.

National Institute of Scientific Investigation Department of Legal Medicine, National Institute of Scientific Investigation

Abstract

In order to evaluate the death structures of the pregnant women autopsied, a total of 267 cases out of 10,650 legal autopsies in the Department of Legal Medicine, National Institute of Scientific Investigation during 1976-1985 were analyzed with emphasis on Cause and Manner of Death. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The annual death of the pregnant women autopsied was 2.5% and its trend was downward slowly. 2. In age distribution, the most prevalent group was the first half of 20's (35.6%), followed by the latter half of 20's (25.1%), of 10's (13.5%) and the first half of 30's (13.1%). 3. In manner of death, natural death was 55.4%, comparing with 40.1 % of violent death which includes 22.8% of accident, 9.0% suicide and 8.2% homicide. 4. Hemorrhage (39.3%) was the leading cause of death in the pregnant women autopsied and some others such as poisoning (15.0%), infection (7.9%), congestive heart failure (7.5%), toxemia (6.0%) and asphyxia (5.2%) ranked in that order. 5. Among 105 cases of hemorrhage, 75.3% was found to be obstetric, while 24.7% to be non-obstetric. 6. In accidents, the major cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning (34.4%) and hemorrhage (29.5%) and infection (24.6%) occurred by medical interventions 7. In suicides, poisoning (79.2%) was found to be a major cause of death and the major agents used were cyanide(37.5%) and agricultural(16.7%). 8. In homicides, asphyxia such as manual and ligature strangulation was the leading cause of death. 9. In the pregnant women autopsied, 39.0% were died in the full term of pregnancy, followed by the first trimester (22.8%), the second trimester (17.2%) and the third trimester (10.9%) of pregnancy. 10. It could be inferred that most of the violent death were frequently occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy, while the natural death predominantly being in the full term of pregnancy. However, hemorrhage and infection caused by medical intervention had a tendency to be occurred in the second trimester and full term of pregnancy.