* <spoiler text="What was the proximate immediate cause of death (COD) in this patient? What other factors played a role in this patient's demise?">This patient died of respiratory failurethermal injury involving 80% body surface area. This large body surface area of burn injury is very severe and has a poor prognosis. The gross and microscopic evidence of smoke inhalation and burn injury to the nose, throat and lungs are indicative of severe lung injury. Inhalation injury is seen in over 80% of patients with a burn size of 85% or more of the total body surface area. Carbon monoxide poisoning also contributes to the early death in inhalation injury. The manner of death in this case would have been accidental - unless someone deliberately set the fire.

An This additional factor that likely would have lead to death of this patient was the severity and the extent of the body surface area that was burnedburn would likely have lead to death of this patient. Clinical management of a patient with burns this severe would be very difficult. Shock and sepsis are common problems in these patients.</spoiler>