title: Exhumation - Nuisance to the dead, justified?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exhumation stands as a very significant feature of forensic investigations. The legal excavation of dead bodies for ascertainment of the cause of death has always aided the law enforcement agencies to comprehend the anonymity of any suspicious case and further convict the criminal in cases of homicides. This study analyses the different aspects of the exhumations which were carried out and were autopsied in Karachi during the study period.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study, and included all the exhumations carried out in Karachi during a period of 7 years and 7 months from 1 January 2004 to 31 July 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 101 exhumations were carried out during the study period. Out of 101 cases, 63 were males (62.4%) and 38 females (37.6%) giving a male to female ratio of about 3:2. Causes of death were ascertained in 75 cases, thus the success rate was 74.3%. Head injury by hitting with hard blunt object was the most frequent cause of deaths (17.8%), followed by asphyxia due to strangulation (15.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exhumations must be ordered by the Judiciary in suspicious cases as it aids in determining the actual causes of death and leads to convictions. It also brings a great deal of satisfaction for the relatives of the deceased and halts any doubts in their minds. As shown by our study, much attention is given to the cases in urban areas by the relatives who are determined to find the cause of death even after burial procedures.
authors: Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan. captdrmirza@hotmail.com
authors: Farhat Hussain
authors: FH
authors: Mirza
authors: Syeda Ezz-e-Rukhshan
authors: SE
authors: Adil
authors: Akhtar Amin
authors: AA
authors: Memon
authors: Hamid
authors: H
authors: Ali Paryar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D049249:Exhumation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D010154:Pakistan; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult