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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
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Severe Burn Injury in a Swine Model for Clinical Dressing Assessment
Published on: November 6, 2018
Case-controlled study of patients with self-inflicted burns
B M Horner1, H Ahmadi, R Mulholland
1Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, England. benhorner@doctors.org.uk
Summary
Patients with self-inflicted burns sustain larger injuries and experience worse outcomes than those with accidental burns. Interventions and multidisciplinary care can improve prevention and management of these severe burns.
Area of Science:
- Burn research
- Trauma surgery
- Psychiatric comorbidity
Background:
- Self-inflicted burns represent a significant clinical challenge.
- Understanding the characteristics and outcomes of deliberate self-harm burns is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare burn severity and patient outcomes between self-inflicted and accidental burns.
- To identify pre-injury characteristics associated with self-inflicted burns for prevention strategies.
- To explore potential interventions for reducing deliberate self-harm burns and improving patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A case-controlled study design was employed.
- 36 deliberate self-burn patients were matched with two groups of accidental burn patients based on age and sex.
- Exclusion criteria included psychiatric diagnoses or non-burn injuries for one group, and burn size for the second group to compare outcomes.
Main Results:
- Deliberate self-burn patients had significantly larger burns (median Total Body Surface Area [TBSA] 10% vs. 1.5%, p<0.01).
- Self-inflicted burns resulted in longer hospital stays (median 15 days vs. 9 days, p<0.02), even when matched for burn size.
- 28% of self-inflicted burns occurred in supervised settings.
Conclusions:
- Self-inflicted burns are associated with greater severity and poorer outcomes compared to accidental burns.
- Interventions like restricting smoking in healthcare and correctional facilities, and identifying high-risk individuals, may reduce deliberate self-harm burns.
- Multidisciplinary management with early psychiatric involvement can improve outcomes for patients with self-inflicted burns.
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01:22Burn Injuries
Burn injuries occur when the skin and underlying tissues are damaged due to exposure to heat, electricity, chemicals, radiation, or friction. They can vary in severity, from minor superficial burns to severe deep burns that can be life-threatening.
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
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01:11Blinding
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