Publication: Etiology and Demographic Profile of Medico-legal Cases in Emergency of a University Hospital in Nepal
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute of Medicine
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Any injury or ailment where investigations by the law-enforcing agencies are crucial are considered as medico-legal cases. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of medico-legal cases presenting to the Emergency Room (ER) of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Kathmandu, Nepal.
Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was done to include all medico-legal cases presented from July 2018 to June 2019.
Results: Medico-legal cases comprised 1805 (3.8%) of all cases (47,289) in the study period. The category of 25- 39 years was the commonest age group involved [659 (36.5%)] followed by 15-24 years group [582 (32.2%)]. Males were almost twice (65.8%) in number compared to females (34.2%). The top three reasons for the ER visit were road traffic accidents (RTAs) [757(41.94%)], physical assaults [356 (19.72%)] and poisoning [239 (13.24%)]. Other causes were burns, falls, sexual assaults, hanging, injuries (gunshot, electrical and machinery) and drug overdose.
Conclusion: There are significant numbers and wide varieties of medico-legal cases that present in the ER of TUTH. Young males are the most high-risk population and RTAs are the commonest etiology. This study will help the hospital in capacity strengthening of the ER, based on the volume of individual case types.
Keywords: Emergency room, medico-legal cases, road traffic accidents, university hospital
Description
Pratima Khatri1, Anita Munikar2, Pooja Pandit2, Lalita Rai2, Ramesh K Maharjan3, Mohan R Sharma4
1Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
2Maharajgunj Nursing Campus, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
3Department of Emergency Medicine, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
4Department of Neurosurgery, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
Keywords
Emergency room, medico-legal cases, road traffic accidents, university hospital