ELECTRICAL FATALITIES : A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Authors

  • Preetinder Singh Forensic Medicine Department, Govt. Medical College, Patiala, India
  • A D Aggarwal 14 Desi Mehmandari, Patiala, Punjab, India
  • K K Aggarwal Forensic Medicine Department, Govt. Medical College, Patiala, India
  • S S Oberoi 1. Polat O, Inanici MA, Askoy ME. Adli Týp Ders Kitabý [Textbook of Forensic Medicine]. Istanbul, Turkey: Nobel Medical Bookshops; 1997. 2. Soysal Z, Eke M, Cagdir S. Adli Otopsi [Forensic Autopsy]. Istanbul, Turkey: Istanbul University Medical Faculty Publications; 1999. 3. Tirasci Y, Goren S, Subasi M, Gurkan F. Electrocution-related mortality: a review of 123 deaths in Diyarbakir, Turkey between 1996 and 2002. Tohoku J. Exp. Med. 2006 Feb;208(2):141–5. 4. Lee RH. Safety in industrial plants. Wilmington, DE: E.I. duPont de Numours and Company; 5. Sheikhazadi A, Kiani M, Ghadyani MH. Electrocution-related mortality: a survey of 295 deaths in Tehran, Iran between 2002 and 2006. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2010 Mar;31(1):42–5. 6. Wick R, Gilbert JD, Simpson E, Byard RW. Fatal electrocution in adults—a 30-year study. Med Sci Law. 2006 Apr;46(2):166–72. 7. Wright RK, Davis JH. The investigation of electrical deaths: a report of 220 fatalities. J. Forensic Sci. 1980 Jul;25(3):514–21. 8. Mellen PF, Weedn VW, Kao G. Electrocution: a review of 155 cases with emphasis on human factors. J. Forensic Sci. 1992 Jul;37(4):1016–22. 9. Rautji R, Rudra A, Behera C, Dogra TD. Electrocution in South Delhi: a retrospective study. Med Sci Law. 2003 Oct;43(4):350–2. 10. Lucas J. Electrical fatalities in Northern Ireland. Ulster Med J. 2009 Jan;78(1):37–42. 11. Al B, Aldemir M, Güloðlu C, Kara IH, Girgin S. [Epidemiological characteristics of electrical injuries of patients applied to the emergency department]. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2006 Apr;12(2):135–42. 12. Dokov W. Electrocution-related mortality: a review of 351 deaths by low-voltage electrical current. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2010 Mar;16(2):139–43. 13. Fatovich DM. Electrocution in Western Australia, 1976- 1990. Med. J. Aust. 1992 Dec 7;157(11-12):762–4. 14. Bailey B, Forget S, Gaudreault P. Prevalence of potential risk factors in victims of electrocution. Forensic Sci. Int. 2001 Nov 15;123(1):58–62. 15. Fernando R, Liyanage S. Suicide by electrocution. Med Sci Law. 1990 Jul;30(3):219–20. 16. Marc B, Baudry F, Douceron H, Ghaith A, Wepierre JL, Garnier M. Suicide by electrocution with low voltage current. J. Forensic Sci. 2000 Jan;45(1):216–22. 17. Bligh-Glover WZ, Miller FP, Balraj EK. Two cases of suicidal electrocution. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2004 Sep;25(3):255–8. 18. Murty OP. Unusual self-electrocution simulating judicial electrocution by an adolescent. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2008 Jun;29(2):167–9. 19. Dokov W. Forensic characteristics of suicide by electrocution in Bulgaria. J. Forensic Sci. 2009 May;54(3):669–71. 20. Nikoliæ S, Mihailoviæ Z, Miciæ J. [Suicide by electrocution-2 case reports]. Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2004 Feb;132(1-2):38–40. 21. Saukko P, Knight B. Knight’s Forensic Pathology. 3rd ed. Hodder Arnold Publishers; 2004. 22. al-Alousi LM. Homicide by electrocution. Med Sci Law. 1990 Jul;30(3):239–46. 23. Shaha KK, Joe AE. Electrocution-related mortality: a retrospective review of 118 deaths in Coimbatore, India, between January 2002 and December 2006. Med Sci Law. 2010 Apr 1;50(2):72–4.
  • D S Walia Forensic Medicine Department, Govt. Medical College, Patiala, India

Keywords:

Electrocution, autopsy, injury, death, place, appliance

Abstract

The objective of our study is to analyse the variation in terms of age, sex, month, time before death, type of injury externally, type of material caused electrocution, place of incident, occupation and cause of deathof the various cases of electrocution deaths in Patiala region. Data is analysed retrospectively over a period of seven years from April 2005 to March 2012 of the cases came for post mortem examination in our department. Study revealed that majority of victims were male (91.11%) and age range was 3 to 70 years with average of 35.58 years with maximum number of cases in age group of 31-40 years (22.22%). There is increase in number of cases in summer season (55.55%) andmost of the cases are found in farms (48.88%)followed by at home (26.66%). In most of cases electrocution was from wires (55.55%) and switches (15.55%). It was found that 66.67% of deaths are within first hour of electric shock. In most of cases current involved is low voltage (74%) and cause of death mostly cardiac failure (55.55%). 

References

Polat O, Inanici MA, Askoy ME. Adli Týp Ders Kitabý [Textbook of Forensic Medicine]. Istanbul, Turkey: Nobel Medical Bookshops; 1997.

Soysal Z, Eke M, Cagdir S. Adli Otopsi [Forensic Autopsy]. Istanbul, Turkey: Istanbul University Medical Faculty Publications; 1999.

Tirasci Y, Goren S, Subasi M, Gurkan F. Electrocution-related mortality: a review of 123 deaths in Diyarbakir, Turkey between 1996 and 2002. Tohoku J. Exp. Med. 2006 Feb;208(2):141–5.

Lee RH. Safety in industrial plants. Wilmington, DE: E.I. duPont de Numours and Company;

Sheikhazadi A, Kiani M, Ghadyani MH. Electrocution-related mortality: a survey of 295 deaths in Tehran, Iran between 2002 and 2006. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2010 Mar;31(1):42–5.

Wick R, Gilbert JD, Simpson E, Byard RW. Fatal electrocution in adults—a 30-year study. Med Sci Law. 2006 Apr;46(2):166–72.

Wright RK, Davis JH. The investigation of electrical deaths: a report of 220 fatalities. J. Forensic Sci. 1980 Jul;25(3):514–21.

Mellen PF, Weedn VW, Kao G. Electrocution: a review of 155 cases with emphasis on human factors. J. Forensic Sci. 1992 Jul;37(4):1016–22.

Rautji R, Rudra A, Behera C, Dogra TD. Electrocution in South Delhi: a retrospective study. Med Sci Law. 2003 Oct;43(4):350–2.

Lucas J. Electrical fatalities in Northern Ireland. Ulster Med J. 2009 Jan;78(1):37–42.

Al B, Aldemir M, Güloðlu C, Kara IH, Girgin S. [Epidemiological characteristics of electrical injuries of patients applied to the emergency department]. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2006 Apr;12(2):135–42.

Dokov W. Electrocution-related mortality: a review of 351 deaths by low-voltage electrical current. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2010 Mar;16(2):139–43.

Fatovich DM. Electrocution in Western Australia, 1976- 1990. Med. J. Aust. 1992 Dec 7;157(11-12):762–4. 14. Bailey B, Forget S, Gaudreault P. Prevalence of

potential risk factors in victims of electrocution. Forensic Sci. Int. 2001 Nov 15;123(1):58–62. 15. Fernando R, Liyanage S. Suicide by electrocution. Med Sci Law. 1990 Jul;30(3):219–20.

Marc B, Baudry F, Douceron H, Ghaith A, Wepierre JL, Garnier M. Suicide by electrocution with low voltage current. J. Forensic Sci. 2000 Jan;45(1):216–22.

Bligh-Glover WZ, Miller FP, Balraj EK. Two cases of suicidal electrocution. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2004 Sep;25(3):255–8.

Murty OP. Unusual self-electrocution simulating judicial electrocution by an adolescent. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2008 Jun;29(2):167–9.

Dokov W. Forensic characteristics of suicide by electrocution in Bulgaria. J. Forensic Sci. 2009 May;54(3):669–71.

Nikoliæ S, Mihailoviæ Z, Miciæ J. [Suicide by electrocution-2 case reports]. Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2004 Feb;132(1-2):38–40.

Saukko P, Knight B. Knight’s Forensic Pathology. 3rd ed. Hodder Arnold Publishers; 2004.

al-Alousi LM. Homicide by electrocution. Med Sci Law. 1990 Jul;30(3):239–46.

Shaha KK, Joe AE. Electrocution-related mortality: a retrospective review of 118 deaths in Coimbatore, India, between January 2002 and December 2006. Med Sci Law. 2010 Apr 1;50(2):72–4.

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Published

2013-01-30

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 2 (2012): Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Jul-Dec)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

ELECTRICAL FATALITIES : A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY . (2013). Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 29(2), 104–106. Retrieved from https://acspublisher.com/journals/index.php/jfmt/article/view/17595