Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
GAZI MEDICAL JOURNAL, cilt.26, sa.3, ss.110-111, 2015 (ESCI)
The use of pepper spray is common in our country during the police intervention to protesters. In this manuscript we investigated pepper spray exposure cases admitted to Gazi University Medical Faculty Gazi Hospital's Pediatric Emergency Department aimed in 2012. Gazi University Medical Faculty Gazi Hospital's Pediatric Emergency Department has reported 2534 forensic cases in 2012. Of these six were pepper spray exposure cases. Only one was male, while five cases were female. The mean age was 11.3 years. Two cases exposed to pepper spray while being at home, and remaining four exposed to pepper spray at school during the protests. Two cases had history of respiratory disease. In all cases, forensic reports were concluded as "No life-threatening injuries were determined". Exposure to tear gas, depending to its content, the intensity and duration of exposure may cause chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, and threaten life. Sale and availability of tear gas which may result in serious consequences such as death should be restricted particularly for children and use of pepper spray should be limited in social events, health professionals should be educated about the possible harmful effects and treatment of paper spray exposure.