title: Self-inflicted burns: the value of collaboration between medicine and law.
abstract: Self-inflicted burns are rare in France, but they lead to major, often life-threatening complications. The authors reviewed medical data for patients hospitalized in a burn center from January 2004 to December 2008. Thirty-eight cases of self-inflicted burns were compared with 220 accidental burns. Women were predominantly affected (57.9%, n = 22). A psychiatric history (71%, n = 27) was more frequent in this population. The mean age of the victims was 38 years. The leading method of suicide was flame (94%, n = 36) associated with gasoline used as an accelerant (77.7%, n = 28). Mean total burn surface area (41.5%) and mortality (36.9%) were higher in the self-inflicted burn population. By recognizing epidemiological characteristics and patients at risk, we can better classify lesions related to self-immolation. It is important for the forensic physician to consult survival details to correlate these data with the results of autopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Toulouse-Rangueil University Hospital, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhès, 31059 Toulouse, France. franchitto.n@chu-toulouse.fr
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Franchitto
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faurie
authors.forename: Ludivine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Franchitto
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minville
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Telmon
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rougé
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol