Fatal burn injuries: A five year retrospective autopsy study in Temple town, Tirupati

Burn deaths have tremendous medicolegal importance as they are one of the commonest causes of unnatural deaths in India. The purpose of this study was to record and evaluate the epidemiological and medicolegal aspects of fatal burn injuries retrospectively. An analysis of autopsy records revealed 742 (18.3%) cases of burn injuries among total autopsies done over 5 years period (2010–2014) in the mortuary of department of Forensic Medicine, S V Medical College, Tirupati. The majority of victims were females (62.8%), with the age group 21–40 years (57.4%) being predominantly affected. Married victims (78.3%) outnumbered unmarried. Thermal burns, 673 cases (90.7%) was commonly noted with explosion of kerosene stove in 238 (32.1%) being the predominant cause of fire. Mortality was higher in victims with 51–75% of TBSA burn with septicemia, 219 cases (29.5%) being the leading cause of death, followed by hypovolemic shock, 192cases (25.9%). Majority of the cases were accidental, 605 (81.5%), followed by suicidal, 89 (12%) and homicidal deaths 46(6.5%), respectively.