Pattern of Assault cases at causality of Medical College – One year cross sectional Study

Abstract

Casualty department of Medical College is entrance to all emergency cases at the Hospital. Here most of the cases are labeled as medicolegal cases. Medical officer/physician posted at casualty department apart from doing his basic emergency treatment duties, he has to perform all Medicolegal formalities related to the case. In this study we analysed various aspects of the management of assault cases at casualty of medical college. This will help in guiding the doctor at casualty for handling the various medicolegal issues arises while dealing with assault cases.

Material & Method – Data is collected from casualty of medical college over period of one year. Total 97 cases with alleged history of assault were examined by the author during his duty at casualty of medical college as a resident in clinical forensic medicine unit. Cases were analyzed on the base of age, sex, residential status, time of arrival, weapon used, sample preserved, police call made and summon received by court.  Detail patterns from various parameters are studied and compared with various research article done on this topic.

Result - out of total 1200 medicolegal cases registered at casualty assault constitutes 97 (8%) cases. Out of which 81% cases were male.  Maximum number 41 (42.26%) were seen in the age group of 21-30 years. 50 (51.54%) assault cases were caused by hard blunt weapon. Among the assault cases, 36 (37.11%) cases were categorized as grievous.  Head and face, neck was the most commonly involved region of body in 48 (49.48%) cases. Police information and injury report was prepared in 100% cases after proper examination of all the assault cases reported to casualty.

Conclusion: - Study denotes assault cases are one of the common medicolegal cases at casuality of Medical college. Cases have male dominance and common in younger age group. Most common causative object is of heard and blunt type. Head has common involvement as per injury distribution and one third of the cases are if grievous in nature. Proper documentation is important factor in management of medicolegal cases. In this study medicolegal documentation done at clinical forensic medicine as per requirement of the investigating authority gives idea to treating doctor to deal with assault cases.