Evaluation of deaths due to burns in a tertiary care hospital at Mysore - a retrospective study

Burn injuries are one of the leading causes of death and an important public health problem in a developing country like India. The etiological factors of burn injuries vary considerably in different communities and regions. The Aim of the present study was to assess the magnitude of mortality due to burns and to study the circumstances and etiological factors leading to death in burn cases in this region. Material and Method A total of 662 deaths due to burns were studied. All the information was collected from police inquests, PM reports and case files. RESULTS Out of the 3020 autopsies done, 662 cases were due to burns and most in the age group of 21-30 years. The female: male was 2.9:1. Sixty eight percent were from rural region. Kitchen was the most common site occurrence and kerosene oil, the most common source. Accidental burns accounted to 85.95%, suicidal 4.98% and homicidal 9.06%. The Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) involved in 42% cases was more than 80%. Septicemia was the major cause of death (55.89%). CONCLUSION The incidence of deaths due to burns was around 22% and majority in the age group of 21-30 years with female preponderance. Major site of fire was Kitchen and the common source being kerosene. Majority of burn deaths were accidental with involvement of more than 50% of TBSA and maximum deaths occurring within a week of burn incident. Septicemia was the major cause of death. Effort to eliminate poverty & ignorance which are the significant contributors to high mortality in burns patients is the need of the hour. Language: en