Electrical Burn Injuries in Colombia, South America: A Major Source of Morbidity and Mortality

In Colombia, electrical injuries account for most burn-related deaths. Mitigation of the risks of electrical injury depends on adequate and reliable epidemiologic data, but to date there is no literature describing the epidemiology of electrical injury in Colombia. In this retrospective study, we aim to begin such a literature. A descriptive, cohort study was conducted in the BICU of Simon Bolivar Hospital in Bogota, Colombia. The study enrolled all adult patients with electrical injuries (including lightning), admitted between January 2011 and December 2013. A detailed assessment of hospitalized patients within the first 48 hours after electrical injury was made in order to determine the severity of injury and outcome. 1.470 adult patients were admitted during this time. Of these patients, 357 patients (24.3%) had electrical injury: 84.3% with high-voltage injuries. The mean age was 35.1 years (SD 13.2). The mean total cutaneous burn surface area (TBSA) was 9.4% (SD: 13.1%); 51 patients (14.5%) had TBSA >20%; 289 patients presented within the first 48 hours after injury, for whom 235 charts were available for analysis. Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was evaluated in 230 patients. 115 patients (50.0%) had rhabdomyolysis. Eleven patients (4.7%) required segmental amputation, and 14 patients (6.0%) developed early acute kidney injury. In this hospital-based study, 14.5% suffered burns >20% TSBA, and 16.1% showed CPK values >10,000 UI/L. In order to decrease morbidity and mortality from electrical burns in Colombia, it is necessary to establish preventive measures at workplaces and homes, where these injuries occur.