Burns caused by the terrorist bombing of the department store Hipercor in Barcelona. Part 2.

The Zawacki method was selected for the evaluation of the 20 patients admitted to our Burn Centre after the terrorist attack on 18 June 1987. The group comprised seven men and 13 women whose ages ranged from 25 to 66 years. The TBSA burn averaged 53 per cent and FTSA burn averaged 32.65 per cent; 25 per cent had respiratory lesions and 10 per cent reported previous bronchopulmonary pathology. The definitive assessment of mortality probability was made between 18 and 24 h after the accident. Of the group, 30 per cent died. All except one had a mortality probability of 100 per cent, 10 per cent of these patients survived. In general, complications appeared during the first 3 weeks; among the infections there was no predominant bacterial species and we had no pseudomonas sepsis cases; respiratory infections were the most important and serious and the most common cause of death. Prophylactic treatment was a determining factor for improving survival. The predominant sequelae were hypertrophic scars and 64 per cent of survivors still suffer with functional sequelae, however 78 per cent of the group have returned to their normal work.