Mersin Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Acil Tıp Anabilim Dalı Geriatric medicine has been defined as the branch of medicine that concerns itself with the population aged 65 years or older. The risks of trauma and injuries are higher in this age group according to the physopathological changes seen with the aging process and also these injuries have high mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographical, etiological and clinical characteristics of geriatric forensic cases and also to investigate them from the forensic aspect in order to develop prevention programs.
The data of geriatric forensic cases admitted to the Emergency Department of Mersin University during the last two year period were obtained from their medical files and medical legal reports.
Of total 1915 forensic cases 81 (4.23%) were geriatric. Among them 41 (50.6%) were female, 40 (49.4%) were male. Of cases 47 (58.02%) were falls, 23 (28.38%) were motor-vehicle-accident, 4 (4.93%) were poisoning, 3 (3.37%) were hit, 2 (2.46%) were intraocular foreign body, 1 (1.23%) was gun shot wound and 1 (1.23%) was near-drowning in the water. The majority of the injuries were bone fractures (43.2%) and soft tissue injuries (29.62%). Head (40.3%), extremity (35.1%) and chest (3.9%) were the mostly injuried parts of the body. 86.4% (n=70) of patients were discharged home. Of cases 18 (22.2%) had life threatening injury and 39 (48.1%) had 20 day or more unability period to follow his ordinary pursuits.
It is concluded that developing preventive programmes for the geriatric forensic events will be helpfull in decreasing mortality and morbidity rates in this age group.
Keywords : Geriatric, forensic case, emergency sevice