Forensic medical evaluation of poisoning cases admitted to the Emergency Department of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty between 2019 and 2024

Aim: This study aims to objectively demonstrate the correlation between the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS), New Poisoning Mortality Score (new-PMS), and the criteria defined in the Turkish Penal Code (TPC) Injury Guidelines for poisoning cases admitted to Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2024. It further aims to evaluate the concordance of these scores with clinical outcomes and contribute to standardization in forensic reporting. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 42 parameters identified via the ISHOP system (including age/sex, origin of poisoning, GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale), PSS/new-PMS scores, treatment process, presence of forensic reports, etc.) were analyzed. Statistical analyses included frequency distribution with percentage calculations. Non-parametric Pearson Chi-Square analysis was used to determine relationships between variables and differences in distributions. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 553 cases were reviewed. Of the cases, 55.2% (n=305) were female and 44.8% (n=248) were male. The overall mean age was 23.27 (SD=16.635). The most frequent type of intoxication was pharmaceutical (53.5%, n=296), followed by household cleaning products (8.0%, n=44), and chemicals (6.7%, n=37). The origins of exposure were intihar girişimie attempt in 45.2% (n=250), accident in 40.9% (n=226), misuse (e.g., substance abuse) in 11.9% (n=66), and abuse (e.g., maltreatment) in 2.0% (n=11) of cases. PSS and new-PMS scores showed significant correlation with the TPC Injury Guideline criteria (χ2(6)=78.131; p=.000). Conclusion: Adapting the PSS and new-PMS scoring systems, used in Europe and Korea, to the subjective criteria in the TPC Injury Guidelines is considered potentially useful as a guiding tool in forensic medical reporting, particularly for borderline cases. Keywords: Poisoning, emergency service, forensic report, PSS, New-PM