Burns in prisoners: A 10-year retrospective cohort study from a UK burns unit

Burns among prisoners are complex to manage. Barriers to timely first aid and specialist care may contribute to worse outcomes, yet data on this population remain limited. This study characterized the epidemiology, injury patterns, first aid provision and follow-up engagement of prisoners with burns, to inform improvements to service provision.

We conducted a 10-year retrospective cohort study of all prisoners treated for burn injuries at a UK regional burns unit between March 2015 and April 2025. Data were extracted from medical records, including demographics, injury characteristics, mechanism and intent, first aid, surgical intervention, complications, and follow-up.

63 cases met inclusion criteria. Median age was 30 years (IQR 24-39), and median TBSA burned was 1.0% (IQR 0.7-2.9). Most burns were scalds (83%), resulting from assault (54%) or self-harm (11%). Assault-related injuries were exclusively scalds and differed significantly in mechanism from self-harm (p < 0.001) and accidental injuries (p = 0.03). Psychiatric co-morbidity was recorded in 42% of cases, with significant differences between self-inflicted injuries vs. assault-related (p = 0.002) or accidental injury (p = 0.005). Adequate first aid was documented in only 32% of cases; 30% of referrals were delayed by more than 2 days from injury. Only 63% of prisoners attended scheduled follow-up; missed appointments were often due to institutional constraints.

Burns in prisoners frequently arise from deliberate harm, with high prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidities. They are often inadequately managed in the early phase and poorly followed up. Focus on scald prevention, improved first-aid training, integrated mental health care, and expansion of outreach services may improve outcomes in this high-risk, underserved population.