Review of burn cases reported in the department of forensic medicine of Akdeniz University Aculty of Medicine between 2010-2019

Review of Burn Cases Reported in The Department of Forensic Medicine of Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Between 2010-2019 The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of burn cases and to review the already set measures by comparing the obtained data with previous studies and to suggest improvements to the criteria used in forensic reports. With the permission obtained from the Clinical Research Ethics Board of Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, the reports of 35834 forensic cases admitted to the Department of Forensic Medicine of Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine were reviewed during the 10 year period between 01 January 2010 and 31 December 2019 and 152 cases (0.42%) who were injured as a result of burns were taken into the study. The cases were reviewed according to their age and gender, daily, monthly and seasonal distribution, etiology-burn type, origin, affected body surface area, burn degree according to the affected skin layer, affected body regions, featured body regions, duration of hospitalization, institutions and counties that the cases were submitted from. Of the 152 cases taken in our study, 111 (73%) were male and 41 (27%) were female and the male/female ratio was 2,7, the average age was 27,2 (min:0, max:91, SD:17,3), the mean age in male cases was 27,6 (min:0, max:91, SD:15,8) and the mean age in female cases was 26,1 (min:1, max:84, SD:20,9). It was found that the most cases were on Wednesdays (n:28, 18,4%) and Thursdays (n:28, 18,4%), in Julys (n:19, 12,5%) and in summers (n:44, 28,9%); the least cases were on Mondays (n:14, 9,2%) and Saturdays (n:14, 9,2%), in Novembers (n:7, 4,6%) and in autumns (n:32, 21,1%). When the distribution according to burn types was reviewed; the most cases were electricity (n:39, 25,7%) and followed by hot liquid (n:27, 17,8%), flame (n:26, 17,1%), unknown (n:21, 13,8%), multiple (n:14, 9,2%), chemical (n:12, 7,9%), laser (n:7, 4,6%), respectively; the least cases were the result of contact with the hot solid (n:6, %3,9). Among the types of burns, it was found that in electrical burns, men were statistically more susceptible than women. However, in laser burns, women were found to be statistically more susceptible than men. When the distribution according to origins was reviewed; the most cases were accidents (n:124, 81,6%) and followed by unknown (n:17, 11,2%), and murder (n:9, 5,9%); the least common cases were suicides (n:2, 1,3%). When the burns, of which affected the surface area of the body was known, were reviewed; the most cases were >20% (n:37, 24,3%) and 6%-10% (n:13, 8,6%), 0%-5% (n:11, 7,2%), 11%-15% (n:9, 5,9%), respectively; the least cases were 16%-20% (n:6, 3,9%). When the distribution according to the burn degree was reviewed; the most cases were multiple (n:82, 53,9%) and followed by second degree (n:27, 17,8%), unknown (n:20, 13,1%), first degree (n:19, 12,5%), respectively; the least cases were third degree burns (n:3, 2%). When the distribution according to affected body regions was reviewed; the majority of cases comprised multiple body regions (n:103, 67,8%) and isolated sub-extremity (n:18, 11,8%), isolated upper extremity (n:16, 10,5%), head-to-neck (n:13, 8,5%) regions followed respectively; the least common region was chest (n:1, 0,7%). When the distribution according to featured body regions was reviewed; the most cases included multiple regions (n:60, 39,4%) and followed by no burns on featured body regions (n:33, 21,7%), face (n:27, 17,8%), hand (n:14, 9,2%), foot (n:10, 6,6%), respectively; the least common region was genitals (n:8, 5,3%). Sixty-five (42,8%) patient were on outpatient follow-up, 87 (57,2%) patients were hospitalized and the average duration of hospitalization was 25,6 days (min:1 day, max:192 days, SD:34,4). The average duration of hospitalization of patients treated due to electrical burns were distinctly higher than other burn types. Among the cases assessed for vital danger, 48,7% (n:74) were determined to be in vital danger, 51,3% of (n:78) the cases were not in a vital danger. Among the affected body areas, the presence of vital danger in burns of multiple body regions was found to be statistically meaningful than other types of burns (p<0,05). Among the cases evaluated for treatability with simple medical intervention, 30,3% (n:46) were treatable with a simple medical intervention, 69,7% (n:106) is untreatable with a simple medical intervention. Among the types of burns, electrical burns (p<0,05) and hot liquid burns (p<0,05) were found to be statistically more untreatable with a simple medical intervention than the other types of burns. It is an undeniable fact that the type of burns and the affected body regions by the burn are effective in assessing the severity of injury in the medicolegal evaluation of burns. Burns are complicated health problems that need to be discussed not only locally but also with its systematic effects. It is insufficient to assess burns only with the signs of local injury. According to the common age groups of patients with burns, it is thought that the evaluation will be more reliable and sufficient results will be more obtainable by creating objective criteria that also take into account the type of burn and the body region it affects. Keywords: Forensic medicine, burn, medicolegal evaluation.