COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNİN ACİL SERVİS ADLİ BAŞVURULARINA ETKİSİ: TÜRKİYE'NİN BATI SINIRINDA BİR ÇALIŞMA

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 epidemic, which affected the whole world, also affected judicial events. This study will examine how the forensic cases that applied to the emergency service were affected by the epidemic.
 Material and Methods: In this study, the files of all patients whose forensic records were opened in the Emergency Service between 2019 and 2022 were retrospectively scanned. Patient applications were classified according to March 2020, when our country's first COVID-19 case was seen. They were divided into 3 groups: pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic period, and the data obtained were compared within themselves.
 Results: The files of 20,781 patients on the specified dates were reviewed. 83.4% of the patients were male. 16.6% were foreign nationals. It was observed that the highest rate was during the pandemic period (35.7%) and patients who applied for forensic examination (83.8%). It was determined that most of the patients were discharged from the emergency department (98.1%), and most inpatients were followed up in the surgery services (0.6%). It was determined that forensic applications were at the lowest level after the declaration of a pandemic, and in the post-pandemic period, they exceeded the pre-pandemic level. 
 Conclusion: It is seen that the flow of forensic cases to emergency department does not decrease even in pandemics. Since most forensic cases have a traumatic process, emergency department applications can guide the number, character, and prognosis of forensic cases. In another pandemic, forensic events can be controlled.