Evaluation of clinical presentation and management outcome of burns, experience at secondary referral hospital in a low-income, sub-Saharan country: A cohort study

Abstract

Purpose: Burns are considered as serious health problem in low-income country. They lead to patients’ morbidity and mortality beside their burden on the health care system. This study was conducted to review the clinical presentation and management outcome in a secondary referral hospital in Sudan (sub-Saharan country). Methods: This is a retrospective hospital-based cohort study. It was conducted during 2019–2021. Data was collected to determine socio-demographic characteristics of patients, site of burns, cause of burn and management outcome. Any patient presented with burns during the study periods was enrolled in the study area. Results: Total number of surgical emergency admitted during the study periods were 8126. Total number of patients who are included in this study were 133 with male predominant (53 %). Seventy-two of them are below age of 10 years. Half of the patients (53 %) presented with scalding burn. Only, 36 % of them presented to the emergency department during the first 12 h. Seventy eight percentage of them were treated and discharged while 6 % of them died. Open wound dressing was done for 84 % of patients while skin graft was done in 12 % of patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the situation in a low-income setting with higher prevalence among children. There are challenges and difficulty in managing burn patients.

Keywords

• Burns
• Managements
• Outcome
• Low-income countries
• Sub-Saharan African