Profile of deaths due to thermal injuries in a coastal township in South India

Abstract

Morbidity and mortality related to thermal injuries are a serious health concern worldwide. Burns and scalds are known to be  responsible for a significant fraction of deaths in South India every year. The aim of this retrospective study is to give an overview of  the trends in burn epidemiology in Manipal, during the years 2011 to 2015. The 5years retrospective research was conducted in the  mortuary attached to the tertiary care teaching hospital in the study area. All cases of deaths due to thermal injuries between 2011 and  2015 were included in this study. Relevant information was collected from post mortem records and analysed for descriptive statistics  using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21. Deaths due to thermal injuries constituted 14% of the total unnatural deaths  that occurred during the study period. 68% of the victims were female. The victims were aged between 1 and 80 years. The percentage  of burnt body surface area varied in the range of 22% and 100%. The time interval between the occurrence of the incident and death of  the victim ranged between 1 day and 3 months. The highest number of cases occurred in the months of April, May and June. The causes  of death included complications such as hypovolemia, septicaemia, pulmonary edema and renal failure. The findings of this study give  us an insight into the pattern and magnitude of deaths due to thermal injuries so that preventative measures can be suggested and taken  up accordingly.