Epidemiology, morbidity, mortality and treatment of burn injuries--a study in a peripheral industrial hospital

This is a retrospective study of 348 patients with burn injuries admitted to a peripheral industrial hospital over a period of 10 years. The patients were from all walks of life. The study compared the incidence of burns occurring in various industries and those in other situations, assessed the morbidity and mortality profile of burn injuries treated in a hospital devoid of a modern burn care unit and presents ways of improving the treatment of burn injuries. Out of the 348 patients 42.5 per cent had major burns and 57.5 per cent had minor burns. Children mostly received minor burns, females between the ages of 20 and 40 years commonly received major burns. Flame burns due to kerosene stoves, open flames and fireworks were the commonest causative agent (60.3 per cent). Scalds comprised 28.7 per cent of the injuries, the remainder being due to chemicals, electricity and lighting. Eighty-five per cent of the burns occurred in households; 12 per cent were industrial burns and rest were due to road traffic accidents and lightning. Out of 42 industrial burns, only two cases were of major severity. Most of the industrial burns were scalds. The overall mortality was 18.3 per cent. The average hospital stay was 17.5 days. The treatment given to the patients is briefly discussed and the importance of the introduction of modern methods of burn management in our hospital is also emphasized.