ISSN: 1304-5040
Dil: Türkçe, ingilizce
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLES |
Firearm Fatalities Autopsied In Ankara (2001-2004)
Dr. Yalçın BÜYÜK,a Dr. Murat EKE,b Dr. A. Hakan DİNÇ,c Dr. Ziya KIRd
aaT.C. Adalet Bakanlığı Adli Tıp Kurumu, İstanbulbAdli Tıp AD, Kırıkkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, KırıkkalecT.C. Adalet Bakanlığı, Adli Tıp Kurumu Ankara Adli Tıp Grup Başkanlığı, ANKARAdAdli Tıp AD, İstanbul Üniversitesi Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, İstanbul
Objective: The percentage of deaths which are due to firearms varies greatly in different parts of the world both in terms of the type of weapon and the origin of the incident. Epidemiological studies show the increasing trend of the incidence of firearm fatalities in many countries and focus on the importance of the control of these guns. Material and Methods: Autopsy reports of firearm-related death cases whose autopsies were performed in Ankara between the years 2001 and 2004 were retrospectively evaluated on the basis of parameters such as age, sex, type of firearm, origin of the incident, origin and the number of shots, origin and range of fire, site of entrance wounds. Results: A total of 403 firearm-related fatalities were determined in this time period. These cases constituted 12.64 % of all autopsy cases of that period. Of the cases, 335 were male (83.13%) and 68 were female (16.87%). 21-30 age group constituted the most crowded group with 118 (29.28%) cases and 21-30 age group followed this age group by 97 cases (24.07%). 21-30 age group was the most crowded age group both in females and males. Handguns were detected to be preferred weapon in 298 cases (73.94%), whereas shotguns in 102 cases (25.31%). Rifles were used only in 3 cases. There was no statistically significant relationship between the gender and the type of the weapon. The relationship between the type of the gun and residential area was statistically significant. In rural settings, in 60.36% of the cases, shotguns were detected to be used, whereas in urban settings in 86.99% of the cases handguns were detected to be used. There was no information about the origin of the incident in 166 (41.19 %) cases. The mode of death was reported to be homicide in 173 cases (42.93%), suicide in 59 (14.64%) and accident in only 5 cases (1.24%). Evaluation of cases in terms of the location of entrance/entrances revealed that head and neck region was the most frequent site of entrances for all cases (179 cases, 44.42%) followed by chest region by 79 cases (19.60%). Conclusion: Firearm-related fatalities constitute an important percentage in autopsy population in Ankara. Although the fact that possessing of firearms is restricted and needs a licen(s)e in Turkey, this high frequency of firearm deaths in Ankara which is the capital city of the country shows the need of strict precautions for handguns and particularly shotguns together with education of the community for the danger of firearms.Keywords: Firearms, homicide, suicide, autopsyTurkiye Klinikleri J Foren Med 2008, 5:6-12
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