Sudden Death: Clinical & Medico - Legal Aspects

O. Gambhir Singh

Abstract: Sudden deaths occur in apparently healthy people within a very short span of time. According to the WHO, death occurs in less than 24 hours from the onset of symptoms. Important risk factors are a sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, hypertension, low or high body mass index, stressful lifestyle, old age, smoking, and unhealthy diets. Cardiac diseases are the leading cause of sudden death almost in all age groups of both sexes. When the doctor is not sure about the exact cause of death, the cause of death should not be issued in such cases. Instead of that, the nearest police station must be informed after registering the case in the medico - legal register.

Keywords: Sudden death, Cardiac diseases, Medico legal cases, Suicide, Homicide