[Burn fatalities in advanced age].

At the Institute for Legal Medicine in Hamburg (investigation period 1983 to 1993) post mortem examinations were carried out in 45 elder people ( > 60 years) who died from major burns. This retrospective epidemiologic and descriptive study evaluates the factors associated with accidents and suicides in relation to the burn surface area, burn depth, location, the cause of death in the burn victims and carbon monoxide or cyanide gas poisoning. Severe burn injuries were the most common cause of death (41%), and in the majority of our cases the traumatic shock led to death during the first two hours. The accidents occurred at home, and were frequently connected with alcoholism and chronic diseases.