Forensic Cases in the Emergency Department: Associations Between Life-Threatening Risk, Medical Treatability, and Patient Outcomes
<b>Background:</b> This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and forensic characteristics of cases admitted to a high-volume tertiary emergency department, focusing on severity-based classification using treatability with simple medical intervention (SMI) and life-threatening status. <...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Diagnostics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/11/1416 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | <b>Background:</b> This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and forensic characteristics of cases admitted to a high-volume tertiary emergency department, focusing on severity-based classification using treatability with simple medical intervention (SMI) and life-threatening status. <b>Methods:</b> We retrospectively analyzed 3014 forensic cases over one year. Patients were classified based on injury severity, anatomical region, and clinical outcomes. Documentation practices and report types were also reviewed. <b>Results:</b> Among all the cases, 60.4% were treatable with SMI, and 10.5% were identified as life threatening. Notably, all patients who died (1.3% mortality) were in the life-threatening group, and none of the SMI-treated patients died, underscoring the accuracy of early triage and alignment between documentation and outcomes. Road traffic accidents were the leading cause of life-threatening injury and hospitalization, while assault cases were predominantly minor and managed conservatively. Seasonal variation peaked in July, and sex-based differences revealed a higher SMI eligibility among female patients. Final forensic reports were more frequently issued in SMI cases, while preliminary reports were predominant in severe trauma. <b>Conclusions:</b> Severity-based classification using SMI and life-threatening categories offers valuable insight for clinical decision-making and forensic documentation. Integrating structured triage, anatomical injury mapping, and standardized report templates can enhance both patient safety and legal reliability. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2075-4418 |