The medico-legal evaluation of cases who admitted to the emergency department due to occupational injuries

In this study, during 2013 and 2014, all of 567 cases admitted to the Gaziantep University Hospital Emergency Department due to occupational accidents were examined. Percentage, frequency and chi-square tests were used in the data analysis. 553 (97,5%) of these cases were male, 14 (2,5%) of them were female. The accidents were frequently determined in the age group 25-34 (36,2%). It is determined that most of the applications (61,9%) to the emergency department were occured between 08:00–15:59 hours. An increase was determined at the frequency of accidents on Friday (18,9%) and Monday (15,9%). Temporary forensic report was held to the 62,6% of the cases. 6,3% of patients had life threatening injuries and 57,5% were not resolved with simple medical intervention. Most common mechanism of injury was determined as a penetrating sharp-object injury with a rate of 25%, it is followed by fall from height and from the same level (20%). The rate of bone fracture was 36% and the rate of amputation was 13,4%. Isolate upper extremity injuries were the most injuried area in the body.(48,2%). It is observed that, 393 (68,1% ) of the cases were discharged after the treatment in the Emergency Service. The overall mortality rate due to occupational accident was 1,2 % (n=7). The majority of deaths were occured by falling from height (%71,4). It is considered that if the emergency datas are analyzed detaily, ıt would be helpful for us to understand real causes of occupational injuries and the ways to prevent from occupational accidents.