Mortality trends from burn injuries in Chile: 1954-1999

To study mortality trends due to burns in Chile.

Correlation, and descriptive study. Death reports from the Annals of Demography from 1954 to 1999, were analyzed and standardized rates of mortality by etiology, age and sex were calculated using regression models (Prais-Winsten) for each of them. Spearman's Rho test was used to show correlations (STATA 7.0).

Linear reduction in burns rate (7.03-0.53) was found mainly because of a reduction in the pediatric group (15.3-2.4). The rate in the elder group showed a significant increase (4.28-11.03). The mortality rate due to chemical burns remained stable (1.4/1,000,000) and electrical burns showed an important increase since the 1990s (0.4-5.0/1,000,000).

The decrease of the mortality rates due to burns, is mainly due to a large decrease in the pediatric group rates. Rates remained relatively stable for adults and increased in elders. The findings set a challenge to improve prevention campaigns and professional assessment and management in adults and elders.