Review of washing machine-related deaths in South Korea |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Medicolegal Death Investigator, Scientific Investigation Department, Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, Andong, South Korea;2. Department of Forensic Medicine, Defense Institute of Forensic Science, Criminal Investigation Command, Ministry of National Defense, Seoul, South Korea;3. Medicolegal Death Investigator, Scientific Investigation Department, Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency, Gwangju, South Korea;4. Medicolegal Death Investigator, Scientific Investigation Department, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Seoul, South Korea;5. Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea;1. Department of Law, Institute of Legal Medicine (AgEstimation Project), University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy;2. Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB 58051900, Brazil;3. Department of Radiological Sciences, Ospedali Riuniti, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy;4. School of Law, Legal Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy;5. Department of Forensic Medicine, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation;6. AgEstimation Project, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Molise, Italy;1. DNA Fingerprinting Unit, State Forensic Science Laboratory, Department of Home (Police), Govt. of MP, Sagar 470001, India;2. DNA Division, State Forensic Science Laboratory, Rajasthan, Jaipur 302016, India;3. Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi 284128, UP, India;1. Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany;2. Diagnostic Centre Göttingen, Radiological Clinic, Göttingen, Germany;3. Institute for Forensic Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany;1. MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China;2. Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China;3. Deepreads Biotech, Guangzhou 510663, China;4. Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou 510030, China;5. Forensic Science Centre of Maoming Public Security Department, Guangdong Province, Maoming 525000, China;6. Criminal Justice College of China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing 100088, China;1. School of Forensic Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China;2. First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450046, China;1. School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China;2. Judicial Expertise Center of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China |
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| Abstract: | We reviewed data on washing machine–related deaths between 2008 and 2020 in South Korea to analyze the case characteristics, manners of death, and causes of death. Washing machine–related deaths are very rare, and only 23 incidents were identified over the study period. Of these cases, 19 (82.6%) were related to general pulsator-type top load washing machines; the other 4 (17.4%) were related to front-load washing machines. The pulsator-type top load washing machine–related deaths occurred in people aged between 40 and 93 years (mean age, 68 years), including 9 men (47.4%) and 10 women (52.6%). The manners of death among the incidents were suicide in 12 cases (63.2%), accident in 6 cases (31.6%), and unknown in 1 case (5.3%). A Medline search of the English literature currently does not yield results for washing machine–related suicidal deaths in adults. Of the 12 suicide cases, 4 were autopsied; suicidal death was determined by postmortem investigation or based on suicide notes. Washing machine–related suicidal deaths are presumed to have characteristics similar to those of bathtub suicidal deaths. The front-load washing machine–related deaths involved boys aged between 6 and 8 years, and all cases were concluded as accidents. The cause of death was hypoxia resulting from the children being accidentally trapped inside the washing machine while playing. Greater attention to vulnerable groups, especially children and older adults, is required to reduce the rate of washing machine–related accidental or suicidal deaths. |
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| Keywords: | Death Suicide Drowning Positional asphyxia Hypoxia |
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