THE EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON FORENSIC CASES OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

Year 2021, Volume: 54 Issue: 3, 465 - 470, 01.01.2022

Burak Bekgöz , İshak Şan

https://doi.org/10.20492/aeahtd.1009150

Abstract

Aim
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on forensic cases treated by Emergency Medical Services compared to the pre-pandemic periods.
Material and Methods
The study was designed to evaluate the Emergency Medical Services cases retrospectively. We included forensic cases data covering pandemic period (period A - from March 11, 2020 to March 10, 2021) and pre-pandemic period (period B - from March 11 and period C - 2019 to March 10, 2020) in Ankara, Turkey.
Results
We included a total of 117,753 patients. The most common type of forensic case in all periods was traffic accidents (62.9%). This was followed by assaults (14.1%) and suicides (8.2%). The number of traffic accidents was found to be lower during the pandemic period (60.3%) than in other periods (p<0.001). In addition, suicides (9.2%), injuries with sharp/blunt objects (7.5%) were also higher in the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic periods (p<0.001). Most of the cases had yellow triage code (48.6%). Considering the triage codes, during the pandemic period, the green-coded cases decreased and black-coded cases increased compared to pre-pandemic.
Conclusion
The number of forensic cases in the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly lower than in the pre-pandemic periods. In addition, suicide cases and sharp/blunt object injuries were more frequent in the pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic periods. Traffic accidents were still the most frequent despite the lockdowns during the pandemic period.

Keywords

COVID-19, Suicide, Emergency Medical Services

Supporting Institution

None

COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNİN HASTANE ÖNCESİ ACİL SAĞLIK HİZMETLERİNDEKİ ADLİ VAKALARA ETKİSİ

Abstract

Amaç
Bu çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisinin, pandemi öncesi döneme göre Hastane Öncesi Acil Sağlık Hizmetleri ile müdahale edilen adli vakalardaki etkisini araştırmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntem
Çalışma Hastane Öncesi Acil Sağlık Hizmetlerinde retrospektif olarak planlandı. Çalışmamıza Ankara’daki pandemi dönemi (Periyot A: 11 Mart 2020 - 10 Mart 2021) ve pandemi öncesi dönemi (Periyot B: 11 Mart 2019 - 10 Mart 2020 ve periyot C: 11 Mart - 11 Mart 2020) kapsayan adli vaka verilerini dahil ettik.
Bulgular
Çalışmaya toplam 117.753 hastayı dahil edildi. Tüm dönemlerde en sık görülen adli vaka türü trafik kazalarıydı (%62,9). Bunu darp (%14,1) ve intiharlar (%8,2) izliyordu. Pandemi döneminde trafik kazası sayısı (%60,3) diğer dönemlere göre daha düşük bulundu (p<0,001). Ayrıca pandemi döneminde intiharlar (%9,2), kesici/künt cisim yaralanmaları (%7,5) pandemi öncesi döneme göre daha yüksekti (p<0,001). Olguların çoğunda sarı triyaj kodu vardı (%48.6). Triyaj kodlarına bakıldığında pandemi döneminde pandemi öncesine göre yeşil kodlu vakalar azaldı, siyah kodlu vakalar artmıştı.
Sonuç
COVID-19 pandemisindeki adli vaka sayısı, pandemi öncesi döneme göre önemli ölçüde düşüktü. Ayrıca pandemi döneminde intihar vakaları ve kesici/künt cisim yaralanmaları pandemi öncesi döneme göre daha sıktı. Pandemi döneminde sokağa çıkma kısıtlamalarına rağmen trafik kazaları en sık adli vaka nedeni olmaya devam etti.

Keywords

COVID-19, İntihar, Acil Sağlık Hizmetleri

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