FORENSIC CHARACTERISTIC OF HEARING INJURIES

Abstract

Hearing injuries are one of the rare pathologies, which accounts for 5.7 % of all injuries of ENT organs. Forensic aspects of hearing damage are not well understood. Criteria have not been developed for determining the severity, prescription and assessment of the mechanism of trauma in case of damage to hearing organs.

The aim – to study the structure and criteria for assessing the severity of mechanical damage to hearing organs.

Material and Methods. The case materials, medical documents, the results of additional studies and conclusions (acts) of forensic medical examinations of 92 cases related to mechanical injuries of the hearing organs were studied. If there is a suspicion of damage to the middle or inner ear, an ENT specialist was consulted and additional research methods were conducted to determine the severity of the loss of hearing function and the presence of concomitant damage to adjacent organs. To assess the hearing organs and adjacent structures within the temporal bone, as well as the structures of the inner ear, X-ray of the skull was performed in lateral projection, audiological studies and MRI. In case of combined injuries, CT or MSCT of the temporal bone in a spiral mode in axial projection was performed to assess the condition of the temporal bone and bone structures of the inner ear.

Results. When distributing injuries depending on the gender of the victims, it was revealed that damage to the organs of hearing was noted mainly in males, amounting to 97 %. Most often, injuries were noted at the age of 18–35 years (72.3 %). When clarifying the circumstances of the injury, it was revealed that in 68 (73.9 %) cases the injuries were sustained as a result of domestic and street injuries, and in 24 (26.1 %) cases when there was a car accident inside the passenger compartment. Among the damage to the organs of hearing (92), damage to the outer part of the ear (81) prevailed, while damage to the middle and inner ear was noted significantly. It was established that from the impact of blunt solid objects, the outer and middle ear were mainly damaged. Damage to the inner ear (labyrinth) and the temporal bone pyramid were observed in severe, combined head injuries.

Conclusions. Hearing injuries more often observed in males. Among the main causes of traumatic injuries are household and street injuries. The criteria for assessing the severity of damage to the outer ear may be the duration of the health disorder, and the middle ear – the amount of permanent loss of general disability, taking into account the presence of combined injuries. Traumatic injuries of BP recovered in 100 % of those examined. Justification of the severity of damage is possible during complex studies: clinical, audiological, radiological, CT or MSCT studies.