Profile of Various Thermal Injury Deaths Across the Three Genders in North Maharashtra

Thermal (heat) burns occur when some or all of the cells in the skin or other tissues are destroyed by: hot liquids (scalds) hot solids (contact burns) or flames (flame burns). In India, over 1, 00, 0000 people are moderately or severely burnt every year. The incidence and circumstances of death due to thermal injuries differ significantly amid the three genders including the third sex of transgender. Present study analyses profiles of different thermal injury deaths during the entire one year period of 2016 at North Maharashtra's only Govt. Medical college. Data obtained from medico-legal autopsy reports, inquests, panchanamas, hospital treatment records of the dead, etc. Out of the 136 thermal injury death victims observed in the year, female predominance clearly noted with 98 (72.05%) deaths, followed by 37 (27.20%) male and one (00.73%) transgender deaths. We observed most numbers of dead across various parameters, such as 109 (81.36%) victims been married, 83 (61.03%) cases had septicemia as cause of death, 86 (63.23%) deaths were accidental in manner, 116 (85.29%) cases sustained flame type of thermal injury among whom 76 (55.88%) incidences involved kerosene as an inflammable material, 69 (50.73%) victims survived for 3–7 days after sustaining thermal injuries; and in 73 (53.67%) cases, including the transgender, dying declarations were recorded. Deaths of the recently recognized third gender, transgender, is still under reported and scarcely studied till the date.