Epidemiology of cause and burn pattern in self-immolated patients during 2014-2020

Background & Aims: Lots of suicides leading to death in Iran are related to self-immolation. This study aimed to evaluate the cause and burn patterns in self-immolated patients referred to Shahid Motahari Trauma and Burn Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 282 patients who were hospitalized, due to self-immolation, in the above-mentioned hospital between 2014 and 2020. During the study, information such as patients’ demographic data, burn percentage, burn grade, and organs involved due to self-immolation, duration of hospitalization, and infection and mortality rates following self-immolation were recorded. Results: The mean age of self-immolated people was 35.5 ± 12.5 years, and the majority were male (58.2%) and married (61.7%) with non-university education (89.7%) and poor financial status (90.4%). Most of the patients (94%) had used caustic agents. The cause of self-immolation in 84% of people was family disputes and in 13.4% mental illnesses, and 51.1% finally died. The gender of the patients had a statistically significant relationship only with marital status (P = 0.001) and whole-body burns (P = 0.01). Conclusion: According to our findings, self-immolation is prevalent in men, especially in upper limbs, and the most common cause of self-immolation is family disputes. Self-immolation mostly results in grade 3 burns in both genders. In the hospital, infection after burn is of great importance; therefore, prevention and control measures of nosocomial infection are necessary.