Épidémiologie des décès médicolégaux : une nécessité ?

In France, violent deaths are statistically underestimated and few studied. Our study stresses the importance of an epidemiological tool in forensic medicine departments. All the forensic deaths from January 2008 to June 2011 were coded according to the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10). During this time, 900 cases were retained and coded. Among those cases, 36% were natural deaths, and 35% suicides. The most common cause of death was hanging. Autopsies were performed for only 34% of the drowning cases. A tool for forensic codification could have public health and also judiciary interests. This tool has to be evolutionary and permit a national homogenization of the forensic data collection. Indeed, forensic pathologists have to compare forensic epidemiological data, evaluate the pertinence of the post mortem diagnostic tests performed, and be able to give to the judiciary authorities a feedback concerning judiciary demands. Consequently, this forensic codification could be precious tool for medico-judiciary community and in particular for forensic pathologists.