Causes of Mortality by Autopsy Findings of Combat Casualties and Civilian Patients Admitted to a Burn Unit

Abstract

Casualties of military operations are clinically different and die from different causes than patients not burned during military operations. The differences are likely reflective of a younger population, with greater severity of illness and longer times from injury to admission. Therapeutic interventions should focus on prevention of infection and gastrointestinal catastrophes in military burn casualties, which are similar to younger burn patients in the US, and minimizing cardiac complications in civilian burn casualties, who are typically older patients and possibly reflective of patients with more comorbidities.