title: An analysis of firearms-related deaths between 1993-2010: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Firearm injuries (FI) are the most common cause of death among military personnel. In this study, postmortem examination and autopsy records of deaths resulting from firearm injuries recorded in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Gulhane Military Medical Academy between 1993-2010 were examined retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the characteristics of 153 firearm deaths accounting for 36.6% of all medical-legal autopsies. The cases included 152 men (99.3%) and 1 woman (0.7%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the cases was 23.1 years (±4.7; range, 20-43 years). The manner of death was determined in all cases with 41.8% of cases identified as suicide and 39.9% as homicide. The most common sites of firearm entrance wounds were the head and neck region (n=109, 71.2%), the chest (n=26, 17%), or the abdomen (n=14, 9.2%). The type of firearm was not clear in most cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, complete forensic and medical records will facilitate the rapid and accurate conclusion of the legal process and will enhance future retrospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, GMMA School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. mehmetoygar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toygar
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, GMMA School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Türker
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Türker
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, GMMA Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, GMMA School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Umit
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaldırım
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Mevki Military Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poyrazoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Hakkari Military Hospital, Hakkari, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf Emrah
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Eyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, GMMA School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durusu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, GMMA School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eryılmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014421:Turkey; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult