Self-Inflicted Burn Injuries in Kermanshah: A Public Health Problem

Abstract

Background: Around 30% of suicides are committed by burning. The problem of self-immolation remains a crisis even after population based interventions and still a considerable proportion of admissions of burn ward is belonged to suicide cases. Objectives: This study was designed to present the epidemiologic profile of these patients and compare completed self-immolation and attempted ones. Patients and Methods: All patients with self-immolation admitted to the burn ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital of Kermanshah were entered. The study period was from 20th March 2011 to 21th March 2012. A trained person was responsible to fill the forms by asking victims or their families. Multiple logistic regressions was applied to identify mortality risk and protective factors. Chi-squared test was used to compare attempted cases with complete ones. Results: In total, 164 cases of self-immolation were admitted (30% of total admission to the burn center). One-hundred and forty-two were female and the median age was 25 (IQR: 21-36). The most common used substance for burning was kerosene (85%). The commonest motive of self-immolation was sadness, followed by conflict with spouse. Overall mortality rate was 38.1%. TBSA was the most important determinant of death when adjusted for age and sex. Odds ratio of death was increased by 3 percent for each percent increase of TBSA (P < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences between the attempted cases and completed ones except for TBSA, which was higher among completed cases (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Suicide is a tragic way to end life. As the most common motive was sadness, it is recommended to implement mental health programs and educate problem-solving skills to population, particularly young housekeeper girls.