title: Comparison of antemortem clinical diagnosis and postmortem findings in burn-related deaths.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Burn injuries are an important public health problem resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Mortality in burn patients is associated with age, the extent of the burn surface, and the presence of concurrent chronic diseases. Studies have revealed differences between antemortem clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings in burn-related deaths.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, postmortem examination reports and autopsy reports issued by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Gülhane Military Medical Academy between 1 January 1994 and 30 May 2013 were retrospectively reviewed together with patient charts in an attempt to compare postmortem findings and antemortem clinical findings in burn-related deaths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a period of approximately 20 years, thirty-one (6.9%) of the deaths among 450 cases were burn-related. Of the injuries, 90.3% were caused by flame burns. Mean burn percentage was 70.52%, and the survival of these cases was found to decrease significantly with increasing burn percentage (r=-0.491, p=0.005). According to autopsy findings, pneumonia was the most frequently overlooked antemortem clinical diagnosis, and mortality was associated with systemic organ failures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Burn-related deaths are an important cause of mortality among soldiers. We believe that postmortem findings revealed by autopsies could significantly contribute to the treatment of burn cases, and that interdisciplinary data sharing would be important in this respect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tuğcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zor
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toygar
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balandız
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult