[Burn death rate among hospitalized patients in Zare' teaching hospital of Mazandaran medical University, Sari, Iran [2002-04]]

Burning is a general health problem and is also a global injury as well as a very serious sanitary issue in industrial and developing countries. In its severe form, burning can claim lives. It seems essential in every society to analyze burning, to study the causes of burning, treatment outcomes and the death rates, etc. to find proper preventive measures. In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of all patients who were hospitalized and finally deceased during the years 2002 and 2004 in Zare' teaching hospital, Sari, were examined. Some variables including the age span average, the degree and percentage of burning, patients' residence, gender, the cause of burning [i.e. boiling water, fire, acids and explosives], average hospitalization period, surgery and also the abundance of self - burning attempts were examined. This study indicate that during these 3 years the total number of those who died from burns was 506 [23.4%]. The residential places were in Mazanderan province [41.7%], Golestan province [41.4%], and Gilan province [10.2%]. The abundance of burning ranges as below: The 2 and 3 degree of burning at 91.8%. Regarding the percentage of burns, 31.7% of abundance pertains to burning at 90% and more. The greatest external causes leading to burns are petrol, gas, and gas oil at 57.9%. Also, the percentage of burns does not have much influence on death rate among 50 - year - olds and older people. This study indicated that the importance of death between burned patient in special sex and age. To establish hospitals, some issues must be considered as: distance, transportation, route dangers, characteristics of area, existing epidemiological survey, and finally the epidemics and event statistics

[ epidemiological and clinical assessment of admitted burned pregnant women in Shahid Mottahary Hospital burn center between January 1998 and October 2003]

Treatments of burn pregnant women is a difficult task because the vulnerable fetus is highly dependent on the health of the mother. This study was conducted to determine the epidemiology, etiology, clinical assessment and outcome of pregnant patients between January 1998 and October 2003. A 6-year retrospective descriptive study of burns in pregnant women hospitalized at Mottahary hospital [burn center] in Tehran was performed. A short structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire covered demographic information, etiology, clinical manifestations, and outcomes. 74 [5%] of the 1480 women of reproductive age who were admitted for burn treatment during this period were pregnant. The mean age of 74 patients was 22.54 years [SD = 4.78] with a range of 16-35. The majority of the women [50%] were between 20 and 30 weeks of gestational age. The most common cause of burn was kerosene fire 52 [70%]. Most of the women 50 [68%] suffered from severe burns with TIBC>40%. 49 [66%] mothers and 50 [67.5%] died as a result of the burn damages. Burn size, TIBC, follow up of clinical manifestations for pregnant women, fetus and performance of proportional treatment protocols were the strongest predictor of mortality for mother and fetus