MERVE ERAT ŞAŞMAZ, MÜRSEL KARADAVUT, ASLI LEYLA TAHİROĞLU, ÖZLEM AVCI, ÖMER KARAŞAHİN, SULTAN TUNA AKGÖL GÜR, PINAR TOSUN TAŞAR
Anatolian Journal of General Medical Research - 2025;35(1):74-82
OBJECTIVE To determine the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of geriatric patients with forensic trauma admitted to the emergency department of our hospital and to examine factors associated with forensic events in our country. METHODS The data of individuals aged 65 years and older who were admitted to the emergency department of our hospital due to forensic events between 2013 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients’ demographic characteristics, date and nature of the forensic incident, injury zones, final diagnoses of the forensic patient, and nature and content of the forensic report were examined from the forensic records. RESULTS Of 173,080 geriatric patients admitted to the emergency department during the study period, 679 were forensic cases. Most patients were men (n=481, 70.8%). The most common type of forensic incident was falls (37.4%), followed by assault (18.1%). Half of the intoxication cases were caused by carbon monoxide. The most frequently injured body areas were the head and neck (39.8%), followed by the upper limbs (27.4%) and lower limbs (19%). Forensic admissions were most common during the summer months (August, July, and June). CONCLUSION In this study, falls were the most common cause of geriatric forensic trauma. Therefore, potential fall-related complications can be prevented by carefully evaluating older adults at high risk of falls and taking necessary precautions.
