Medical Jurisprudence in Srinagarind Hospital

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Forensic physicians provide both medical care and forensic consultations for medico-legal evidence. This study aimed to determine the numbers of various parameters in medical jurisprudence such as gender, age, types of trauma and medical reports as well as to provide descriptive data on medico-legal findings for justice processes.

Methods: Retrospective case study and descriptive analysis of the patients who were registered at medico-legal clinic, department of forensic medicine, Srinagarind Hospital from May 2005 until May 2009.

Results: Of the 5,337 patients examined, 63.69% were men and the ratio of men to women was approximately 2 to 1. The  ratio of OPD : IPD cases was 3 : 2. The common age ranges of the patients were 10-20 years (32.94 %) and 21-30 years (25.73%). The age of the patients  less  than 10  years and  more  than  51 years  were the least  common.  The occurrence of traffic accident showed more frequent than the others (71.26%). The  body   assault  was  22.99%  and rape cases  was  1.93%.  Medical examination reported as injured patients by body assault,   traffic accident  and  rape cases were 44.79%, 43.62% and 9.47, respectively.  The chance to report  showed more frequent  in  78.6%   rape cases,  22.99%  body   assault  and  9.81%  traffic accident  only.

Conclusions: Medico-legal reports by forensic physicians were very important for justice processes. Our study revealed that medical jurisprudence in Srinagarind hospital had different characteristics according to the type of trauma, the numbers of medico-legal reports and the chances to report  by forensic physicians.

Keywords : medical  jurisprudence medico-legal report forensic physician