Anatomy of a burns disaster: the Miri Bank explosion

A bank explosion in a neighbouring country over 1000 km away resulted in ten badly burned victims being airlifted to the Burns Centre, Singapore General Hospital (BCSGH) for treatment. The severely injured included patients with 90%, 80%, 74%, 66%, 45%, 33% and 31% burns. Nine had respiratory burns (four severe, one moderate, four mild). One patient died, thus, the mortality rate for the six most severely injured was 16.7%. This differs from predicted mortality rates of 78% according to McCoy or 54% according to Thompson, Herndon et al. The factors contributing to this result were the small size of the disaster, the use of an established Burns Mass Disaster plan and an individual management policy that incorporates carefully monitored fluid resuscitation, recognition of respiratory burns with early treatment by intubation thus pre emptying complications, early surgery and a multidisciplinary approach to complications such as infection and renal failure. The average length of stay was 43 days (range 5-122 days). The cost of the hospitalisation of the ten casualties was $312,317.00.