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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the general characteristics of geriatric cases aged ≥65 years, who presented at the Forensic Medicine Clinic due to trauma, and the severity of injury using trauma scoring systems. Methods: The study included all trauma cases over 65 years with a forensic report prepared in the Forensic Medicine Clinic between 2015 and 2021. Evaluations were made using the chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis (post-hoc: Dunn-Bonferroni) tests. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Two-thirds of the cases were male (67.6%) and mean age was 73.23±6.25 years. More than half of the cases were exposed to battery-related trauma (54%). There was an injury in more than one region in 37.4% (n=52) of the cases. The median injury severity score (ISS) of the cases was 2 (1.5) and the median newinjury severity score (NISS) was 3 (1.8). The scores of ISS and NISS in cases aged >75 years were higher than in those aged ≤75 years (p<0.05). The score severity of ISS and NISS of the cases injured in traffic accidents and other accidents was higher than in those injured due to battery (p<0.001). Almost half (48.1%) of the traffic accident-related cases were pedestrians, and it was seen that pedestrians suffered more severe trauma. Conclusion: Increasing the necessary safety measures in traffic, especially pedestrian safety, and taking measures to make daily life easier for the elderly may help protect this vulnerable population from the effects of severe trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluation of forensic cases who applied to the forensic medicine department with eye trauma. Material and Method: The cases whose forensic reports were prepared in the forensic medicine clinic of an university hospital between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively scanned and all cases with a history of ocular trauma were included in the study. Results: A total of 411 cases with a history of ocular trauma were included in the study. 305 (74.2%) of the cases were male and 106 (25.8%) were female. The average age was found to be 35 ± 16.1 (min: 1, max: 86). Eye and surrounding soft tissue trauma occurred mostly in november (n: 45, 10.9%) and october (n :44, 10.7%). 408 (99%) of the cases admitted to the hospital on the same day after the trauma. However, an eye examination was performed on the same day in 365 of the cases. A total of 326 (79.3%) of the cases exposed to ocular trauma were injured as a result of intentionally injury. Eyeball injury was found in 94 cases (22.8%). It was determined that 89 (94.6%) of 94 cases with eyeball injuries had closed injuries and five (5.4%) had open injuries. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach is of great importance in forensic cases with alleged ocular trauma. The eye examination of the victims should be done as soon as possible, and the previous eye examinations should be questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics and the mental, anogenital, and physical examination findings of child and adolescent sexual abuse victims and to discuss them in the light of the literature. Materials and Methods: This study included a total of 134 children and adolescent cases between the ages of 0 and 18 who were victims of sexual abuse, from among the reports prepared in the Forensic Medicine Clinic of Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital between 2015 and 2019. Results: This study included 134 cases: 113 (84.3%) were female and 21 (15.7%) were male. The mean age was 13 ± 3.4 years (min: 3, max: 17). The average age of the defendants was 25.6 ± 13 years (min: 12, max: 75), and all the defendants were male. The defendants were strangers in 60 cases (4.8%). Sexual abuse mostly occurred as vaginal penetration in 46 cases (34.3%). Sixty--nine (51.5%) cases were exposed to abuse more than once. Depression due to sexual abuse developed in 14 (10.4%) of the cases. Conclusion: Considering that many child abuse victims have normal examination findings, it should not be forgotten that the interview and psychiatric examination with the child are as valuable as the genital examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malpractice in medicine refers to the failure of a physician to meet a standard of diagnosis and treatment, damages/injuries caused by reprehensible ignorance, or negligence of a doctor. Methods: Allegedly malpractice cases of pediatricians and the cases in which causal link between malpractice and death was confirmed by the decision of the First Board of Specialization of the Council of Forensic Medicine between the dates of Januray 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The study revealed that in the majority of 286 cases, the infants were 0-28 days old (n = 115; 40.2%) and were hospitalized due to respiratory problems (n = 111; 38.8%). The allegations of malpractice cases were most frequently seen in private hospitals (n = 120; 42%). Malpractice was found in 17.5% of the cases (n = 50), in which the majority of cased were proved to be diagnostic errors (n = 24; 48%). The most common diagnostic error was the misdiagnosis of "healthy child" in medical malpractice cases (n = 11, 22%). Conclusions: In conclusion, it is considered to be important for the pediatricians to maintain proper communication with the relatives of the patients while monitoring their health condition, and pediatricians are expected to be more careful--especially in the diagnostic phase--in the cases involving 0-1 age group as children are most likely to be diagnosed as healthy in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: This study investigated serum, vitreous, and anterior chamber fluid electrolyte changes, corneal thickness (CT), corneal volume (CV), anterior chamber volume (ACV), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) as an auxiliary diagnostic method in the identification of drowning in fresh or salt water., Materials and Methods: The study used 35 healthy, adult, male, white New Zealand rabbits, seperated into five groups (control, saltwater drowning (SWD), saltwater immersion (SWI), freshwater drowning (FWD), freshwater immersion (FWI)). CT, CV, ACV, and ACD measurements were made with Pentacam topography at 0, 2, and 4 h in all groups. Magnesium (mg), sodium (Na), and chlorine (Cl) were measured in the blood at 0 and 2 h, and in blood, vitreous fluid, and humor aqueous at 4 h., Results: It was determined that CT, CV, ACV, and ACD are not of great value in drowning diagnosis and are affected by the fresh or salt water rather than drowning. Vitreous Na, Cl, and Mg levels are ineffective in determining drowning after one h. Anterior chamber fluid may provide valuable information in the differentiation freshwater - saltwater drownings at the 4th h in corpses retrieved from water., Conclusion: Anterior chamber fluid Na and Cl levels, especially in corpses removed from salt water, can be an easily used test that can help diagnose drowning., (© TÜBİTAK.)

Background: This study was aimed to evaluate the injury characteristics, causes, results, and hospital charges in cases of occupational accidents that were reported to judicial authorities using trauma scores., Methods: The study was performed after obtaining permission from the judicial authorities and approval from the local ethics committee. All occupational accident cases that were reported to the judicial authorities in Bolu Province between 2015 and 2019 were included in the study. The groups were compared with the Chi-Square test, Mann-Whitney U Test, and the Kruskal-Wallis Test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: This study included 3599 cases. The majority of the cases (74.70%) were male, with a mean age of 34.90±10.50 years. Occupational accidents occurred most frequently between 8 and 16 h (n=1982; 55.10%), on Friday (n=595, 16.53%), in April (n=356; 9.89%), and in spring (n=971; 26.98%). Occupational accident-related death occurred in 29 cases (0.8%). The most common injury due to occupational accidents occurred in the food industry (n=1256, 34.90%). Blunt object injury (n=1112, 30.90%) was the most common type of occupational accident; and the upper extremity (n=2049, 54.93%) was the most common injury localization. The mean Abbreviated Injury Scale of the cases was 0.94±0.74, the mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 1.79±4.47, and the mean New-Injury Severity Score (NISS) was 2.11±5.28. The means of ISS and NISS were statistically significantly higher for males, life-threatening injuries, work accidents in the Construction and Agriculture-Forestry sectors, fall from height, traffic accidents, and caught-in-machinery. The total hospital charge was 1,351,339.10 TL and its average was 380.30±2418.90 TL. The mean of treatment costs was significantly higher in the agriculture-forestry and construction sectors., Conclusion: The evaluation of all occupational accidents that are submitted to the jurisdiction on a provincial basis may provide more useful information in the prevention of work accidents. The use of trauma scores in the evaluation of occupational accidents is a useful argument for understanding the sectors and injury types that cause severe trauma. Furthermore, trauma scores may be an important predictor of hospital costs.

Background: Medical malpractice occurs in cases, where a patient experiences damage as a result of the doctor's deviation from the standard practice or care. As in all medical specialties, thoracic surgeons may face medical malpractice claims., Methods: Among the files reviewed by the First Board of Specialization of the Council of Forensic Medicine between January 01, 2010, and December 21, 2015, cases with malpractice allegations against thoracic surgeons were analyzed retrospectively., Results: Fifty-nine of the cases were male (72.8%), and 22 were female (27.2%). The mean age was 51.13±18.97 years, and the most common age range was >60 years (n=35, 43.2%). Medical malpractice was confirmed in 11 (13.6%) of the cases. A diagnostic error was the most common cause of error (n=7, 63.6%), and the most common cause of a diagnostic error was failure to diagnose a condition on time (n=4, 36.4%). The most frequent diagnosis was 'injuries due to trauma' (n=54, 66.7%), followed by lung cancer (n=9, 11.1%). It was found that 80.2% (n=65) of the doctors intervened with the patient as a consultant. Complications developed in 48 (59.3%) of the cases. The most common complication was pneumonia (n=7, 14.6%)., Conclusion: This was the first study in Turkey that included cases of medical malpractice claims that involved thoracic surgeons. We think that examining cases with medical malpractice claims will help physicians not only better understand the characteristics of malpractice claims but also develop strategies to prevent malpractice claims.