Mental health liaison in a regional burns unit-Past, present and future

To describe the epidemiology of patients assessed by a Psychiatric Liaison Team (PLT) on a Regional Burns Unit in London, UK.

A case note review of all patients assessed by the PLT over a 4-year period was carried out. Data were extracted regarding whether the burn was sustained intentionally or non-intentionally, ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis, alcohol use at the time of injury and mechanism of injury. The independent t-test and chi-squared test were used for data analysis.

The PLT assessed 81 patients in total, 45 (55.6%) of burns were non-intentional, 32 (39.5%) were deliberate, and 4 patients (4.9%) were victims of an assault. The overall ratio of males to females was approximately equal. The mean age of patients with deliberate burns was younger, as compared to non-intentional burns, this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Of the patients in the sample, 95% had a psychiatric diagnosis. We identified a difference in type of psychiatric diagnosis in the non-intentional and intentional burns groups. Alcohol use was linked to 38 (48%) of all patients assessed. Flame injuries were the most common mechanism of injury. Chemical burns, were significantly associated with a diagnosis of personality disorder (p < 0.05, chi-square test).

Well-resourced psychiatric liaison teams working collaboratively with burns units are essential to meet the needs of this diverse and complex group of patients.