dc.contributor.author |
Kitulwatte, I.D.G. |
|
dc.contributor.author |
Edirisinghe, P.A.S. |
|
dc.date.accessioned |
2016-01-25T08:51:27Z |
|
dc.date.available |
2016-01-25T08:51:27Z |
|
dc.date.issued |
2014 |
|
dc.identifier.citation |
The Medico-Legal Journal of Sri Lanka.2014;2(1):15-21 |
en_US |
dc.identifier.issn |
2012-5887(Print) |
|
dc.identifier.uri |
http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/11336 |
|
dc.description.abstract |
INTRODUCTION: Sudden unexpected natural death of a young adult is rare, but has a disproportionate impact on the community. This always requires a systematic forensic autopsy. At the completion of the autopsy it is expected to have the answers for all unanswered questions. However it is a challenge to the forensic pathologist since there are many sudden deaths without significant morphological anomalies. OBJECTIVE : The aim of the study was to identify the causes and characteristics of sudden death among the young adults (less than 40 years of age) STUDY DESIGN : Retrospective descriptive study was done based on the reports of post mortems performed on young adults who had died suddenly and unexpectedly due to natural reasons during past 4 years. The information was gathered on a pro-forma to fulfill the objectives. The data was analyzed using SPSS statistical package version 18. RESULTS : Out of 54 autopsies analyzed, 78 % were males. 39% of the victims were of the age group of 36 to 40 years. 33% of the victims were brought to hospital before death. In 76% of the cases, a cause of death could be identified after macroscopic autopsy examination and the percentage increased to 89% after microscopy. Microscopy revealed or confirmed the cause of death in 52% of the cases. 44% were victims of sudden cardiac death. Cause of death was unascertained at the end of all the investigations in 11% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Cause of death has a cardiac origin in majority of sudden unexpected deaths in young adults in the sample examined. Macroscopic autopsy examination could identify a cause of death in majority while abnormalities identified at microscopic examination accounted for death in nearly half of the sudden unnatural deaths in young adults. |
en_US |
dc.language.iso |
en_US |
en_US |
dc.publisher |
College of Forensic Pathologists of Sri Lanka |
en_US |
dc.subject |
unexpected deaths |
en_US |
dc.title |
Sudden unexpected deaths of young adults in a tertiary care hospital for a period of four years |
en_US |
dc.type |
Article |
en_US |