Coroner's Autopsies in Nigeria Capital City of Abuja: a Review of 65 Consecutive Cases

This present study reviews 65 consecutive coroner's autopsies performed at Department of Pathology,Asokoro District Hospital,Abuja,Nigeria over two year period(March 2010 to February 2012). The coroner autopsies represent 70% of the total autopsies during this period of study. There were 60 males against 5 females with a male: female ratio of 12:1 and their ages ranged between 17 and 62 years with a mean of 37.5 years. 98.5% of the studied groups were Negroid while 1.5% was Caucasian. The most common indications for coroner autopsies were homicidal deaths (47.6%), sudden unexpected natural deaths (32.4%). Accidents deaths made 18.5%, of all deaths and suicides 1.5%.

Of the 31 homicide deaths, 28 were males and 3 females with a ratio of 9.3:1. Fire-arm injuries were responsible for 38.7% of the homicide deaths with gun-shot wounds accounting for 29% of this and bomb-blast 9.7%. Blunt trauma claimed 32.3% of cases, penetrating stab wounds, 25.8%, and strangulation injury 3.2%. Hemorrhagic shock was the cause of death in 68% of homicide deaths, intracranial injury in 29% of cases and asphyxia 3%.

For the sudden natural deaths, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 52% of cases. Of these, the male: female ratios were 11:0. Ten (48%) cases were of hypertensive heart failure, 4% of myocardial infarction, 24% of liver pathology, and 9.5% of AIDS related diseases. Renal pathology, maternal death (anemia in pregnancy) and bacterial meningitis accounted for 4.7%, each of the total sudden natural deaths.

75% of the accidental deaths are from road traffic accidents with a male female ratio of 9:0. Fall from height was 17% and accidental electrocution, 8%. Suicide death was responsible for 1(1.5%) of the total deaths. It is also pertinent to say the only suicide death was also the only Caucasian death recorded in the study. Suicide deaths remain extremely rare in African patients and our study confirmed this.