Pattern of female deaths in Manipur: An autopsy-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

The cause of death may be natural, unnatural or may be obscure. The present study is aimed at determining pattern of deaths among females in Manipur, India. This study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of a tertiary care teaching Institute in Imphal, Manipur, during the period of 6 years from January 2014 to December 2019. Out of the 1,387 cases brought for autopsy, 17.81% were females. The year 2014 showed the highest number of unnatural deaths. Asphyxia and blunt forces were the commonest forms of homicides with the highest number of victims in the age groups of >30-40 years. Road traffic accidents were the commonest cause of accidental deaths (91.3%). Hanging accounted for the commonest method of suicides (81.1%), with the highest incidence in the age group of >10-20 years. Respiratory diseases accounted for the highest cause of natural deaths (35.71%). The study reveals that amongst the unnatural deaths in females, road traffic accident was the commonest cause.