The epidemiology of burns in Basra, Iraq

Burns are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and an important public health problem in Iraq. The current study was undertaken to describe epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized burn patients and investigate in-hospital mortality. The study was undertaken at the Al-Fayhaa Burn Centre in Basra City through analyzing hospital records of patients admitted to the centre for a new burn injury between January and December 2016. Data were extracted from all accessible files, entered into Epidata and analyzed in Stata. Hospital records of 367 patients with an age range of 1 month to 77 years and a male to female ratio of 1:2 were analyzed. One third of admissions were children aged 0 to 5 years: the most common mechanisms of injury were flame (51%) and scalds (41.7%). Total body surface area (TBSA) burnt ranged from less than 1% to 100%, with a median of 30.0% (IQR 18.0, 45.0). Length of hospital stay ranged from 0 to 5 months, with a median of 8 days (IQR 4, 12.5). In-hospital mortality was 22% and the independent factors for death were TBSA and suicidal burns. Burns remain a major public health problem in Basra, especially in children, and require sustained multidisciplinary action for their prevention and management. Improving hospital records and computerizing them is essential for better assessment and follow-up of burn care practices.