Epidemiology and outcome of hospitalized burns patients in tertiary care center in Nepal: Two year retrospective study

Abstract

Background: Burns are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Nepal. The epidemiological characteristics of burn vary widely throughout the world. Accurate understanding of the epidemiological characteristics of burns is key for strategic planning of effective prevention programs. Methods: This study was retrospective case series study, conducted on 284 patients admitted in our center over the period of 2 year from January 2014 to December 2015 .Data collection included patient’s age and sex, extent of burn, etiology, timing of burn injury, place of burn, length of hospital stay and mortality. Result: A total of 284 patients were registered over the study period. More female sustained burn injury than male. Most burn victims falls in the working age group (16–59 years), which is 65.5% (n = 186). Burns were more common during winter (December–February) followed by autumn (September–November). Flame burns were the commonest cause of burn injury, followed by scald burn. 54.6% patients sustained less severe burns (<15% TBSA) in our study. Mean hospital study was highest among the electric burn patient. Overall mortality in our study was 25.4% (n = 72), whereas mortality for patients with more than 40% TBSA burn was 95%. Sepsis and pneumonia was the most common cause of mortality in this study. Conclusion: Flame is the most common cause of burn injury in Nepal with more severe form of injury associated with high mortality among the victims. Female were the most vulnerable for burn with high mortality. Prevention program should focus on rural areas with high incidence rate. Keywords: Burns, Injury, Epidemiology, TBSA, Nepal, Retrospective study