Abstract: Objective To discuss the causes and precautionary measures of the risks of relevant medical disputes by analyzing 22 cases of death from otolaryngology diseases. Methods A retrospective analysis of 22 judicial expertise cases of medical disputes related to death from otolaryngology diseases accepted by Chongqing Zhengding Judicial Appraisal Institute and Academy of Forensic Science during 2008-2018 were made. Results Of the 22 cases, the male to female ratio was 3.4∶1. The age of death was from 1.3 to 76 years old, with an average age of 45.3 years. There were 28 medical institutions involved, of which 71.4% were tertiary medical institutions. Statistics for death causes showed that respiratory asphyxia accounted for 50%. Conclusion Forensic identification provides an important scientific basis for medical disputes cases related to otolaryngology diseases. It also has an important reference value for medical institutions to optimize the work procedure of diagnosis and treatment of otolaryngology diseases and improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment.

Key words: forensic pathology, otolaryngology, death, medical disputes