Mortality probability in victims of fire trauma: revised equation to include inhalation injury

There are no clear guidelines on the early diagnosis of injury due to inhalation of smoke. A clinical scoring system in the form of a previously prepared questionnaire may be used in the accident and emergency department by staff who are inexperienced in the management of inhalation injury. By quantifying injury due to smoke inhalation, its contribution to mortality in a large group of fire victims was established and a revised mortality probability equation derived using age, percentage surface area of the burn, and extent of inhalation injury. This mortality probability equation may be used to divide patients into risk categories for early intensive care management and allows the comparison of mortality data between accident and emergency units receiving varying numbers of patients with injuries due to burns and smoke inhalation.