Evaluation of forensic cases under the age of 18 admitted to İnonu University Faculty of Medicine Turgut ozal Medical center between 2018-2022

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the types of forensic cases seen in children, the way these events occur, their progression processes, their effects on children, and to examine the precautions that can be taken in these matters. Material and method: Pediatric forensic cases who admitted to Inonu University Faculty of Medicine Turgut Ozal Medical Center between 01.01.2018 and 31.12.2022 within 5-year period were included in the study. Data on the subjects in the study were obtained: age, gender, nationality, age group, type of application, injury sites, month of application, season, clinical results, hospitalization department, whether the injury was mild enough to be treated with simple medical intervention, whether it was life-threatening, and bone fracture scores. The data were analyzed in SPSS 26.00 program. Results: Of the 4404 cases in our study, 62,0% (n=2732) were male and 38,0% (n=1672) were female. The mean age of the cases was 7,42±5,68 years and the median age was 6,36. 26% (n=1597) of the cases were in the 1-4 age group. 25,75% (n=1134) of the cases admitted in 2019. Admissions were mostly made in July with a rate of 12.0% (n=527). The most common reason for admission was falls with a rate of 23,73% (n=1045), followed by traffic accidents with a rate of 19,60% (n=863). Of the cases, 87.2% (n=3841) were discharged, 10.9% (n=481) refused treatment, 1.5% (n=67) died and 0.3% (n=15) were referred. Conclusion: In Malatya, the two most common causes of forensic cases in children in the last 5 years were found to be falls and traffic accidents, and a similar result was obtained for the rest of the country. Multidisciplinary cooperation with local governments and institutions is necessary to reduce the risks in these events. Children, parents, relevant technical personnel and healthcare professionals should be provided with training adapted to the anatomical, physiological and psychological characteristics of children depending on their age, and to reduce the traumatic risks that may be encountered. Physicians should notify legal authorities in cases that cannot be explained by medical histories taken from parents or children. Keywords: Forensic case, child, trauma