An autopsy study of Epidemiology of drowning at Medico-legal Centre of A Tertiary Healthcare Centre in South-western Maharashtra: Nine Years Retrospective Study

K V Radhakrishna; Sachin Chourasia; Shivakumar D K; Tippesh Kumar N; Dr Abhijit Rudra

Volume : VI, Issue : XII, December - 2017

An autopsy study of Epidemiology of drowning at Medico-legal Centre of A Tertiary Healthcare Centre in South-western Maharashtra: Nine Years Retrospective Study

K V Radhakrishna, Sachin Chourasia, Shivakumar D K, Tippesh Kumar N, Dr Abhijit Rudra

Abstract :

Hundreds of thousands of people die from drowning every year globally making it the world�s third leading cause of unintentional deaths. Moreover drowning is one of the ten leading causes of death amongst children and young people globally. In India there exists proximity of people with the water bodies like rivers, canals, wells or ponds. All these water bodies are easily accessible and there are hardly any preventive or safety measures around these places consequently there is always a risk of drowning if proper care is not taken. Aims And Objectives: 1. To provide epidemiological data of deaths due to drowning in an urban medico legal centre of a tertiary healthcare Centre in South-western Maharashtra and to quantify and analyze them so that preventive measures can be undertaken to prevent deaths due to drowning. 2. To study epidemiologic profiles of populations at risk and the contributing factors and recommending public safety measures. Materials and Methods: cross-sectional retrospective study of medico legal autopsies in which cause of death was asphyxia as a result of ante mortem drowning at a Medico legal Centre of a tertiary healthcare centre in Pune, a metropolitan city in South-western India from January 2009 to November 2017. Results: Amongst 2251 autopsies drowning was the cause of death in 118 (5.24%) patients. There was a male preponderance with a M: F ratio of 3.62:1. Deaths due to drowning were seen most commonly in the age group of 21-30 (25.42 %) years and around unprotected canals (67.69 %). In majority of the cases drowning was found to be accidental (77.96 %). March, April, May and June were the most common months in which deaths due to drowning occurred. During autopsies aqua-bites were found in 39 (33 %) patients and identity of victims couldn�t be established in 16 (14%) cases. Conclusion: Morbidity and mortality due to drowning is common in India due to proximity of people with water bodies. Since the most common manner of death due to drowning is accidental the deaths due to drowning can be prevented by understanding its epidemiology and taking preventive measures and educating people about safety rules.