Deaths in Hotels

Abstract

Background: Deaths occurring in hotels are the result of several causes like asphyxia due to fire, intoxication and multiple traumas on the body.

Methods: In this study, 28359 death records of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2008 were analyzed retrospectively and 76 cases of deaths identified in hotels were included. Data about these cases were evaluated regarding age, sex, marital status, occupation, nationality, history, scene investigation and autopsy findings and cause of death.

Results: The mean age of the cases was 39.69 +/- 4.32 (range between 1 and 78 years). Sixty (78.9%) males and 16 (21.1%) females with a male/female ratio of 3.75 were recorded. Nationality was Turkish in 58 (76.3%) cases and foreign in 18 (23.7%) cases. Autopsy was performed in 75 (98.7%) cases. Conclusion: We concluded that safety measures targeting detailed booking and health records at entry to hotels, improving security measures against firearms at airports, correcting deficiencies in basic facilities like electricity and ensuring barricades and lifeguards at the beaches and pools and implementing legal arrangements like physicians at place of work could lower death rates.