Characteristics of deaths in custody through forensic medicine examination

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted at National Institute of forensic medicine of Vietnam on characteristics of deaths in custody through forensic medicine examination. Out of 125 deaths in custody were autopsied by the forensic medical specialist. The majority of the male sex is 94%. The deaths accounts for the largest number of people age group 41-50 (25.6%). Pathological causes accounts for 82.4% (103 cases), in which, tuberculosis accounts for the highest rate (19.42%), cardiovascular disease (17.48%), severe pneumonia (15.53%), multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and multi disease accounted for (15.53%), cerebrovascular accident (9.71%), cancer and HIV/AIDS (5.83%), cirrhosis ascites (4.85%), encephalitis, meningitis and gastrointestinal bleeding all accounted for (2.91%). Deaths are related to violent impacts, accounting for 14.4% (22 cases), of which hanging accounts for the most, others cause as trauma, drugs shock, poisoning, electricity shock with a small rate.