ABSTRACT
Fire was perhaps, man’s first double-edged sword, for throughout history, it has served as well destroyed mankind.¹ Burns have tremendous medicolegal importance as they may be considered to be the commonest cause of unnatural death in India. Often, the circumstances of burns are enveloped in mystery, obscurity and unreliable statements. The reason behind this action may be personal, domestic, occupational or social tragedy, and more recently dowry death.² The district of Aligarh is situated in the mid of Doab – the land between the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, at a distance of 130 km southeast of Delhi-Howarh rail route and Grand Trunk Road. The latitude is 27º 54’ N and longitude is 78º 05’ E. The population of Aligarh is 3 million (657 people/km). Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital attracts mainly rural patients from 1706 villages and 6 tehsils in and around Aligarh. This prospective study was carried out on victims admitted to Burn Unit, Department of Plastic Surgery, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. The objective was to analyze the epidemiological features, etiological factors and mortality of burn victims admitted to the unit.