Inhalation injury associated with smoking, alcohol and drug abuse: an increasing problem.

This study investigated the association of inhalation injury (IHI) with smoking, alcohol and drug abuse in patients admitted to the Welsh Centre for Burns between 1995 and 2006. Common characteristics of these individuals were identified and contrasted with inhalation injury not associated with these social factors. Two hundred and fourteen patients were identified with inhalation injury. Ninety-two of these were associated with smoking, alcohol abuse and/or drug abuse. The proportion of IHI cases associated with smoking remained stable but IHI associated with alcohol and drug abuse increased dramatically over the course of the study and if current trends continue will increase further in future years. This study also showed that IHI associated with smoking alcohol and drug abuse were found to be largely caused by housefires and deliberate self-harm, and occurred between 22:00 and 05:59 h. These results were in sharp contrast with IHI not associated with these factors.