Mortality rates among 5321 patients with burns admitted to a burn unit in China: 1980-1998

A retrospective study was conducted on 5321 burn patients hospitalized in a burn center in Jinzhou, China during the period 1980-1998. Of the 5321 patients, 57.8% were between 15 and 44 years old and 3.4% were > or =60 years old. Ninety-six percent had burns covering less than half of body surface area and 31.7% had only full thickness skin burn. The number of patients in the 1990s was three times that of the 1980s. Overall mortality rate was 0.86%. LA(50) for total body burn area (TBSA) and only full thickness skin burn (FTSB) was 94 and 87%, respectively. The high survival rate, may relate primarily to the low percentages of older patients and of patients with severe burns. Inhalation injuries, infection and MOD are the main causes of deaths in our patients and would be key targets to improve clinical care and in future study.