Publication:

Profile of pediatric medico-legal cases admitted in Department of Pediatrics at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Background There is lack of data regarding medico-legal cases in paediatric population. To define the clinical, demographic and etiological profile of medico-legal cases admitted and managed in pediatric department of a tertiary care centre.

Methods The prospective observational study is conducted over a period of 1 year; all children up-to age of 18 years admitted with medico-legal implications were included in study.

Results Total 57 children were enrolled in study; mean age of study participants was 8.05±5.52 years. Majority of medicolegal cases were accidental (52.6%) followed by suicidal (28.1%), homicidal (10.5%) and intentional (8.7%). Accidental injuries are significantly associated with male sex and better outcome when compared suicidal injuries.

Conclusions Most frequent type of injury was poisoning followed by abandoned baby. Poor outcomes are associated with poisoning in cases involving suicidal ingestion, the presence of stressors, and the need for respiratory/vasopressor support.