Citation

Krebs-Drouot L, Scolan V, Savall F, Paysant F, Telmon N, Revel E, Chiron F. Rev. Med. Leg. 2022; 13(3): 110-115.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.medleg.2022.02.004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is a global pandemic causing a major reorganization of health systems and a significant impact on many people's daily activities by lockdown mandates. The aim of our study is to compare the characteristics of the autopsies performed during the complete French lockdown in 2020 to the same period the preceding year. Material and methods: We analysed all the medico-legal autopsies performed in Toulouse and Grenoble, two French forensic institutes from March 17 to May 11 in 2020 (period of the complete French Lockdown) compared to the same period of 2019. The main objective was to evaluate to difference in the number of autopsies performed. The secondary aims were to compare the characteristics of these autopsies: violent death, types of violent death, scene examination report, putrefied body, place of death, age, and sex.

RESULTS: In total, 200 medico-legal autopsies were performed in 2019, 95 in 2020 during the reporting period. Weekly number of autopsies was 25 (SD = 6.8) in 2019 and 12.5 (SD = 3.5) in 2020 (P < 0.001). No significant difference was found concerning the secondary aims except for two criteria with very low population (deaths in retirement homes and attacks).

CONCLUSION: Number of autopsies was divided by two during the lockdown compared to the control period year without modification of the other characteristics of the autopsies. These results do not allow evaluating a modification of the cause of death by the lockdown or defining some characteristics of the death appearing to be more important during lockdown. © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS

Language: en

Keywords

Accident; human; violence; Homicide; Suicide; Autopsy; autopsy; France; cause of death; Article; Thanatology; coronavirus disease 2019; Lockdown; criminalistics; lockdown; place of death