[Complications of thermal injuries leading to death]

The authors analyzed a group of 194 decreased subjects, 119 men and 75 women aged 15.96 years who suffered thermic damage in the years 1981-1989. As compared with the source of burns in 1966-1974, there was a striking increase of subjects who suffered burns during propane-butane explosions. In the foreground of thanatological findings was pneumonia in 49%, shock in 28.3%, sepsis in 26.8% damage of the upper gastrointestinal tract in 23.7% and thrombotic embolism in 18% of the subjects who died. More than half of them died with normothermia, 25% with hyperpyrexia and more than 20% with hypothermia. As compared with values of LA50 in 1966-1974 an increase occurred which implies a more favourable prognosis of burns. The values of LA50 were higher in particular in in the age group from 15-50 years.