Burns in patients with epilepsy: changes in epidemiology and implications for burn treatment and prevention

To determine the epidemiology of burns in patients with epilepsy and to identify changes in epidemiology compared with previous studies; to identify further strategies that can be used in the primary and secondary prevention of such injuries in this group of patients.

A retrospective case note review of 111 patient episodes to a regional burns unit where the admission criterion was a burn secondary to an epileptic seizure.

The majority (60 of 111) of burns were due to scald injury and were sustained in a domestic setting. This group of patients (mean age, 42.7 years) accounted for 1.6% of admissions during the study period. The data demonstrate a change in the epidemiology when compared with previous studies. Most burns were small (mean area burnt, 2.2%) but deep, and 72 of 111 patient episodes required surgery, and 12% of patients had reburn injuries requiring readmission.

Scald injuries are now the major cause of burns in those with epilepsy, and the proportion of such patients admitted to a regional burns unit has reduced. Patients and health professionals need to be aware of such injuries and of appropriate prevention strategies.