ABSTRACT

The most common forensic cases in emergency radiology practice are patients admitted as a result of traffic accidents. Apart from injuries due to traffic accidents, other forensic cases that apply to emergency services are assault, injury with a firearm or sharp instrument and suicidal attempts. Imaging performed in these patients detects the presence of life-threatening conditions and affects the course of the forensic process. In gunshot wounds, the type of firearm, the characteristics of the bullet, the trajectory of the bullet and the elasticity of the tissues through which the bullet passes change the severity of the injuries. Penetrating injuries with knife/cutting tools are observed more frequently than firearm injuries. Cerebral ischemia, cervical vertebral fractures and hyoid bone or thyroid cartilage fractures can be detected in patients who are rescued in suicidal interventions due to hanging and admitted to the emergency department. Patients with acute drug-related complications due to increasing drug use in the world and in our country, and drug carriers (body packers) in body cavities are also forensic cases encountered in emergency radiology.