title: Detection of the awareness rate of abuse in pediatric patients admitted to emergency medicine department with injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It was aimed to investigate whether neglected and abused pediatric patients are properly recognized and reported by emergency physicians in the emergency department (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was conducted on patients between 0 and 6 years of age presenting with trauma to ED. Patients were examined again by an emergency medicine specialist independent from the physician who did the first intervention during clinical follow-up phase after notification of patients presenting with trauma to emergency physician. Asked radiological examinations and clinical follow-up were performed. The suspected abuse evaluation form, consisting 12 items, which was formed by considering the forms used in previous studies was used to examine the awareness of physicians in cases of abuse suspicion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 126 patients were included in our study. 54% of cases (n = 68) were male and mean age was determined to be 31.3 ± 18.9 months. It was found that no judicial records were written to 35.7% (n = 45) of our patients and that 11.1% (n = 5) of these patients were hospitalized. In 51.1% (n = 23) of patients without judicial records, multiple suspected abuse findings were identified. According to evaluation of first physician, it was found that 75.9% (n = 41) of discharged patients had no judicial records and was not considered as neglect and abuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that detection rates of abuse can be increased by developing child abuse screening forms and ensuring the continuity of the necessary training programs.
authors.affiliation: Mersin State Hospital, Emergency Medicine Service, Mersin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acehan
authors.affiliation: Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akkan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.affiliation: Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulen
authors.affiliation: Necip Fazil State Hospital, Emergency Medicine Service, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Sencer
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Segmen
authors.affiliation: Marmara University, Pendik Training and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akoglu
authors.affiliation: Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nalan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kozaci
authors.affiliation: Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Icme
authors.affiliation: Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satar
keywords: Abuse; Neglect; Pediatric