PMID- 12201062
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20020913
LR  - 20170214
IS  - 0025-8024 (Print)
IS  - 0025-8024 (Linking)
VI  - 42
IP  - 3
DP  - 2002 Jul
TI  - Traumatic deaths in Jamaica: a coroner's (medico-legal) autopsy study from the 
      University Hospital of the West Indies.
PG  - 185-91
AB  - This study reviewed the trauma-related deaths in a coroner's (medico-legal) 
      autopsy series at the University Hospital of the West Indies and represents only 
      the second such study reported from Jamaica. The autopsy protocols of all 
      coroner's autopsies performed during the 15-year period January 1, 1983 to 
      December 31, 1997 were reviewed retrospectively, and the clinico-pathological 
      characteristics of trauma-related deaths were analysed. Trauma accounted for 470 
      (28.7%) of the 1,640 coroner's autopsies and the causes of death in descending 
      order of frequency were motor vehicle accidents [MVAs] (44.9%), blunt injuries 
      (17.7%), burns (16.8%), firearm injuries (13.6%) and stab injuries (7.0%). The 
      21-30 age group was the most commonly affected and the overall male: female ratio 
      was 4:1. The distribution of injuries (excluding burns) by anatomical region was 
      head and neck (43.8%), chest (8.9%), abdomen and pelvis (4.3%), extremities 
      (0.9%) and multiple sites (25.3%). Forty-nine (23.2%) of the victims of MVAs were 
      documented to have been pedestrians. Blunt trauma was most commonly due to 
      accidental falls followed by assaults. Flame burns accounted for 90% of burn 
      cases. There were seven (1.5%) cases of suicide overall. In this series the 
      majority of trauma-related deaths occurred in young males and were due to MVAs. 
      Strategies aimed at reducing trauma-related mortality should therefore emphasize 
      road traffic safety programmes, particularly targeting the young.
FAU - Escoffery, Carlos T
AU  - Escoffery CT
AD  - Department of Pathology, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, 
      Jamaica.
FAU - Shirley, Suzanne E
AU  - Shirley SE
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Med Sci Law
JT  - Medicine, science, and the law
JID - 0400721
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aged
MH  - Aged, 80 and over
MH  - Autopsy
MH  - Child
MH  - Child, Preschool
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Infant
MH  - Jamaica/epidemiology
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Wounds and Injuries/*mortality
EDAT- 2002/08/31 10:00
MHDA- 2002/09/14 10:01
CRDT- 2002/08/31 10:00
PHST- 2002/08/31 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/09/14 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2002/08/31 10:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1177/002580240204200301 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Med Sci Law. 2002 Jul;42(3):185-91. doi: 10.1177/002580240204200301.