Forensic medical evaluation of penetrating abdominal injuries.

Background: This study aims to discuss the characteristics, origins, degree of injury, results, reporting, and forensic medical aspects of penetrating abdominal injuries.

Methods: In this study, 28,619 cases who applied to the emergency department of Kutahya Health Sciences University Evliya Celebi Training and Research Hospital between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020 were reviewed. The forensic reports and medical documents of 85 cases with penetrating abdominal injuries were evaluated retrospectively, with the approval of the ethics committee.

Results: Among the patients included in the study, 87.1% were male and 12.9% were female. The mean age was found to be 31±13 years. When the origins of the cases were analyzed, 87.1% were found to have developed as a result of intentional injury. The incidents predominantly occurred between 20: 00 and 04: 00 hours. As a result of the examinations performed at the hospital after the incident, alcohol was detected in 36.5% of the cases, while 30.6% of the individuals did not consume alcohol. It was observed that 32.9% of the cases were not tested for alcohol. The most common injuries identified were sharp injuries, accounting for 69.4% of cases, and firearm injuries, comprising 27.1%. Organ damage was noted in 68.2% of the cases, with the small intestine being the most frequently damaged organ. The average number of wounds present was 3.6. Intra-abdominal hemorrhage was detected in 61.2% of the cases, and intra-abdominal artery injuries were found in 8.2%. The mortality rate for penetrating abdominal injuries was 8.2%.

Conclusion: In forensic traumatology, penetrating abdominal injuries commonly lead to life-threatening conditions and loss of organ function, which represent the most severe category in trauma severity assessment. Penetrating abdominal injuries most often result from violent incidents, as observed in our study and in the literature.