Forensic medical aspects of the severity of chest injuries according to the results of the examination of patients in a specialized hospital

Abstract

Closed chest trauma can cause impaired functioning of the respiratory system. Victims with closed chest trauma may be subject to forensic medical examination. The purpose of the study is to determine the severity of closed blunt chest trauma from a forensic perspective based on the results of an examination of patients in a specialised hospital to identify additional diagnostic criteria. The material for the study was the medical records of 103 inpatients of the Zaycev V.T. Institute of General and Emergency Surgery. Considering the diagnostic examination of the victims in the observation groups, the severity of the injuries was determined. Severe bodily injuries were diagnosed in 19 (18.4%) cases of closed chest injuries with acute respiratory failure and loss of part or all of an organ (lung). Injuries of moderate severity were diagnosed in 70 (67.9%) cases of closed chest trauma, mostly with rib fractures, in the absence of life-threatening injuries. Minor injuries were diagnosed in 14 (13.6%) cases of chest trauma without rib fractures with intrapleural injuries and complications or without any complications. It has been established that in the forensic assessment of closed chest injuries, additional diagnostic criteria should be considered: the presence of acute respiratory failure, the dynamics and duration of recovery of post-traumatic morphological and functional changes in injured organs, and the loss of part or all of an organ (lung).