Exhumation; A tool to establish cause of death

Abstract

Exhumation is disinterment of the dead body that has already been buried. From January 2004 to December 2005, Thirty-Five cases were exhumed and subsequently autopsied in the rural and urban areas of Sindh by the Standing Medical Board of District Hyderabad for establishing the cause of death. The results revealed that out of the total thirty-five cases, (60%) twenty-one were subjected to autopsy examination first time on exhumation (Primary) whereas the remaining (40%) fourteen were re-examination cases (Secondary). The cause of death was established in (66%) fourteen of the primary examination cases and (24%) five of the secondary examination cases. Male / Female ratio was 2.5:1 and the maximum number (62.8%) were in between 21-40 years of age. Rural population (77%) is more frequently involved than urban population (23%).