The main goal of this descriptive exploratory study with a quantitative approach is to present the number of patients severely burned in alcohol plastic bottle explosions that have been cared for between 2000 and 2002 by the nursing staff of a Rio de Janeiro hospital that is a reference for the treatment of this kind of accident. The data was gathered from the nursing note book. The authors emphasize that the media refers to these victims as "burned by alcohol" rather than "burned by a bomb", since alcohol plastic bottles are potential bombs. The authors conclude that much suffering could be avoided through an effective, clear, and above all responsible communication.
Accidents, home; Burns; Ethanol; Communications media
