Pattern of Sudden Natural Deaths Among Autopsies Conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital, India

Sudden deaths are the leading cause of mortality all over the world. Sudden death is defined as “death within 24 hours from the onset of the symptoms” by the World Health Organization (WHO). When sudden death is caused entirely due to disease, it is termed sudden natural death (SND). The pattern of sudden death may vary from country to country, but the outcome is worrying, not only for developing countries but also for developed ones. The present prospective study was designed to study the pattern of SNDs which involves cases subjected to medico-legal autopsy in a tertiary care hospital for a period of 36 months. Detailed history and autopsy findings were entered into a structured proforma, and results were tabulated and analyzed using frequency and percentage. SNDs accounted for 13.3% (700 cases) of the total 5,260 medico-legal autopsies, and the age group most affected ranged from 31 to 50 years. Males accounted for 85.1% of cases, while 65.1% (456) of cases had a history of smoking and 69.8% (489) had alcohol consumption. The majority of the SNDs belonged to the lower middle class (40.8%). Most deaths were associated with diseases of the cardiovascular system, 385 (55%), followed by the respiratory system, 182 (26%). SNDs accounted for 13.3% of total autopsies, and males outnumbered females (M:F ratio of 5.7:1). Most (53.7%) cases belonged to the 31–50 years age group. Most of the SNDs were due to cardiovascular diseases, followed by respiratory diseases. Smoking and alcohol intake showed a strong correlation.