Perception of Community and Hospital Personnel on Burn Treatment and Outcome in Nepal

Globally, eleven million people sustain burn injuries every year enough to require medical attention. WHO has estimated Disability associated limited years of 84,000 per year just due to deformities and 2100 people die every year due to burn injuries in Nepal. The overall objective of the study is to explore the effectiveness of burn injuries treatment and management approach of hospitals.

This qualitative study approached to 40 Health Personnel for Key Informants Interviews and 18 Focus Group Discussions with community people at the ten referral hospitals of eight district from May-June 2016. Qualitative data were analyzed using AtLas.ti software.

Female burn victims are brought late to the hospital compared to male patients and false reporting about incident is usually done by her attendants. More than three-fourth (80%) of the hospitals and about one-third male and female from FGD reported that the community people seek home remedy first rather than medical treatment. Majority of the medical doctors and nursing chiefs reported that first degree cases accounts for 50% of the total burn cases with a success rate of 80%. Medical and Nursing staff reported that deformities like hypertrophic scar, keloids, joint stiffness and compartment syndrome are mostly observed during the treatment. Hypothermia and sepsis were the major causes of death in most of the burn patients.

Usually, people who engaged in house and agriculture works, have visited public health posts/hospitals more frequently due to financial constraints and transportation issues where quality of burn care services are unavailable.