Mortality of burn injuries in Jordan

Three hundred and ninety patients who died following fire burns and scalds between 1973 and 1982 were subjected to autopsy examination at the departments of Forensic Medicine in the Ministry of Health and Jordan University Hospital. Flame burns caused 82 per cent of the deaths. Most of the burn injuries occurred at home and most of the accidents may have been avoidable. Seventy-six per cent of the patients were children and young adults (0–29 years). Suicide caused 13·5 per cent of the deaths. The most common causes of death were septicaemia and hypovolaemia.