Forensic medical evaluation of work accident cases presenting to the Emergency Department of İstanbul University

Aim: Work accidents are a significant problem that affects the health and lives of millions of workers every year, both nationally and globally. This thesis comprehensively examines the demographic characteristics of cases, the epidemiological profile of accidents (variety, frequency, sectoral distribution), the type and location of injuries, and the treatment methods applied. By analyzing the underlying causes of occupational accidents and their consequences from a multidisciplinary perspective, the aim is to contribute to the scientific database for developing accident prevention strategies and establishing effective intervention protocols. Materials and Methods: Data from 489 occupational accident cases who applied to the Adult Emergency Department of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, and for whom a consultation was requested from the Department of Forensic Medicine, were retrospectively reviewed. Result: Of the cases examined, 83.6% were male and 16.4% were female, with an average age of 38.04 for all cases. The most common injury mechanism was blunt trauma; the sectors with the highest number of cases were construction (13.3%) and healthcare (13.3%). It was found that in 33.9% of cases, the injury was of a severity that could not be treated with simple medical intervention, and in 1.8% of cases, the injury was life-threatening. Conclusion: In this study, blunt trauma injuries constituted the vast majority of cases, and the rate of serious injuries among young male factory/workshop workers was striking. The findings indicate that sectoral risk analyses, improvement of working conditions, interdisciplinary collaboration, establishment of an occupational health and safety culture, and widespread employee training play a critical role in preventing occupational accidents. As a result of this study, it is expected that the findings obtained from a forensic medicine perspective will make a significant contribution to accident prevention strategies and forensic medicine practices. Keywords: Work Accident, Forensic Report, Occupational Health and Safety, Trauma