Epidemiology of burns in a district hospital in western India

In a prospective study, data on 175 patients treated between June 1993 and February 1994 has been analysed. In this series, adolescents and young adults (11-40 years) comprised 79.4 per cent of the patients. Males formed 43 per cent and females 57 per cent of the total burns 92 per cent of the burns occurred at home. 86.8 per cent of the patients belonged to low socioeconomic groups. 47.4 per cent of them were housewives or housemaids. 44.6 per cent of burns occurred during the morning hours from 6 a.m. to 12 noon. 79.4 per cent of the burns were accidental in nature. Flame burns accounted for 92 per cent, scalds for 5.7 per cent of the total. 64.5 per cent of the patients were admitted within 4 h of injury. The overall mortality rate was 56.5 per cent, below 40 per cent surface area burned (%BSAB) it was 6.1 per cent and above 70 per cent it was 100 per cent. Flame burns resulted in maximum deaths (86.1 per cent). 40 per cent of the patients had more than 70 per cent BSAB burns in this series, which accounts for the high mortality.