CLINICAL AND PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OBTAINED DATA IN THE FORENSIC ASSESSMENT OF ENT INJURIES

Аннотация

The research results have practical significance for forensic medicine and otorhinolaryngology. The implementation of the developed algorithms has improved the objectivity of expert assessments of ENT injuries. The use of precise methods such as rhinomanometry and photodocumentation ensures reliable recording of injuries and substantiated classification of harm. A correlation was established between morphological damage and functional impairment, enabling more accurate evaluation of injury severity, prognosisof recovery, and selection of appropriate treatment strategies. Keywords: practical significance; clinical relevance; standardization; forensic medical examination;rehabilitation. Introduction. ENT organs (ear, nose, throat) are particularly susceptible to injury due to their anatomical structure and functional significance. Damage to these structures often results in impaired breathing, hearing, or voice—functions vital to human physiology. Traditional forensic assessments have mainly focused on anatomical injuries (e.g., fractures, lacerations), often overlooking the severity of functional outcomes, especially when visible defects are absent. However, recent studies underscore that the degree of functional impairment may more accurately reflect theactual harm caused to theindividual [1,2]. Purpose. To evaluate the clinical and practical utility of integrating objective diagnostic tools intotheforensic assessment ofENT injuries. Materials and Methods. A total of 531 clinical and forensic cases involving ENT trauma were analyzed. The methodology included anterior active rhinomanometry to assess nasal airflow resistance, tonal and speech audiometry for hearing evaluation, video stroboscopy for vocal cord assessment, and CT/MRI imaging. The functional findings were then correlated with injuryseverity andforensic conclusions regarding harm to health. Key Findings. It was demonstrated that persistent nasal obstruction (resistance over 0.3 Pa/cm³/s on rhinomanometry), hearing loss exceeding 30 dB, or complete voice loss confirmed by laryngoscopy are associated with moderate to severe damage to health, even in the absence of gross structural damage. The use of objective diagnostics improved the accuracy of forensic damage classification by up to 25% and facilitated better prognostic stratification in clinical rehabilitation. Moreover, a strong correlation was found between the duration of functional impairment and theclassification ofhealth damage severity [3,4]. Conclusion. The incorporation of instrumental diagnostics into the forensic evaluation of ENT injuries significantly enhances the objectivity and legal soundness of expert conclusions. These tools provide quantifiable, reproducible metrics that align with both clinical observations and legal frameworks. Their systematic use not only reduces inter-expert variability but also improves patient care outcomes and judicial accuracy in cases involving trauma to ENT structures.