Analysis of burn mortality in a burns centre

We present an analysis of burn mortality in our burns centre in Nigeria. A total number of 285 patients sustained burns during the study period (1996-2000). Fifty-seven of the patients (20%) died, of whom 38 were male (66.7%) and 19 female (33.3%). Flame burn was responsible for 92.9% of the deaths, followed by 5.3% of deaths due to chemical burns and 1.8% to scalding. The highest mortality was found in the 71-80 yr age group, and survival decreased with increasing percentage burn surface areas. Mortality in males (20.8%) was higher than in females (18.6%), with flame burns causing produced more deaths than other aetiologies. The causes of deaths were acute renal failure (24 cases, 42.1%), septicaemia (18 cases, 31.6%), acute respiratory syndrome (5 cases, 8.7%), shock (4 cases, 7.0%), and upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to peptic ulcer and severe anaemia (1 case each, 1.8%). We conclude that improved facilities and better trained personnel will lead to a reduction in the current high mortality rate among burn patients in our environment.