title: Hyperthermia deaths in Finland in 1970-86.
abstract: All cases in which hyperthermia had been determined as the basic cause of death during the period 1970-86 were collected from the records of the Central Statistical Office of Finland. Of the total of 230 cases, 228 were included in the present study; the two remaining victims died abroad, and no autopsy was performed in Finland. Most of the hyperthermia deaths occurred while the decedent was taking a sauna bath; most decedents were men aged 42-62 years. An increase in the total number of hyperthermia deaths, and of male victims, was noted from the beginning of the 1970s onward; the number of female victims remained at a relatively steady level throughout, with the exception of a slight rise in 1986. Acute alcohol consumption was detected in most of the victims; in some cases there was also a reference to chronic alcoholism or recent long-term heavy drinking. The findings suggest that in addition to the acute hazardous effect of ethanol on thermoregulatory mechanisms, the long-term consumption of alcohol may have promoted fatal hyperthermia in these subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kortelainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D002423:Cause of Death; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000401:mortality*; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D029002:Steam Bath
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol