A Clinico-Epidemiological Study among Burn Injury Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Eastern India

Abstract

Background: Every year in India about 7 million people suffer from burn injury, which is a leading cause of not only mortality, but morbidity and disability among the burn patients, leading to emotional trauma and stigma. Objectives: The present study was conducted in a peripheral medical college of West Bengal to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcome in burn patients and also to identify contributing factors influencing the outcome in burn patients. Methodology: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all consecutive burn patients admitted in Dept of surgery in 2018 were included. Data was collected regarding socio demographic profile, mechanism, type and degree of burn, total body surface area involved, time taken to reach health facility and outcome. Results: Out of 514 burn patients, majority were 20 to 60 years age group, females, Muslim in religion, from rural background, completed primary education, homemaker and having monthly income of the family below Rs 5000. Most of the burns were accidental, thermal in nature occurred at household level. About one third had burns involving dangerous areas of body. Average length of stay in hospital was 6.104 days with 20% case fatality and directly proportional with body surface area involved. Conclusion: Safety measures and building awareness can prevent burn injury at household level. Early initiation of treatment, infection control and following standard management protocol can avert mortality in tertiary setting. Rehabilitation and psychosocial care are urgently needed to combat disability. Keywords: Burn, Clinico-epidemiology, Length of stay, Outcome