ABSTRACT
Damages caused by scald burns are common and can cause severe complications and death. The purpose of this study was to define risk groups and then methods of prevention and treatment is designed to fit. Data for this retrospective study of hospitalized patients in Shahid Motahari Hospital in Tehran from 2007-2011 were compiled. Data including age, sex, cause of burn, and degree of burn and ultimate fate of the victims were collected from scald burns. Burns caused by boiling water and hot food [Scald], in two age groups: 12 and under 12 years [children] and more than 12 years [adults] were compared in terms of statistics. A total of 1150 patients consisting of males [57.9%] and females [42.1%] were studied. The most common age was 1 year old and 50% of patients were under 3 years of age. 87.9% burned with boiling water and 12.1% had experienced burns with hot food. Incentive to burn was 0.3% cross burning and 99.7% incident. A maximum number of burns in children 12 years and younger males [42.1%] and a minimum number in men over 12 years [15.7%] were observed. Mean percentage of burns was 11% in over 12 years group and 30.9% in 12 and under 12 years group. The average hospital stay was 11.4 days and the mortality rate was 4.8%. The final status of the patients was as fallows: full recovery 904 cases [78.6%], partial recovery 134 [11.7%], clearance with personal consent 41 [3.6%], death 55 [4.8%] and 16 cases [3.1%] were among other reasons. In general it can be said, scald burns incidence in individuals aged 12 and younger were more than the older ones and the mean of burns was lower in individuals with over 12 years old. There was a sexual preference for males under 12 years. Mortality rate in the two groups has not any statistically significant difference. There was no statistically significant association between sex and mortality rate. Some of our findings are depending on cultural, social and economic conditions, so generalized this findings to other geographical areas should be done with caution
ABSTRACT
Burning is one of the commonest causes of death. Due to the high rate of death among burn victims epidemiological investigation of burning, burning agents and the relevant motivations can be of great preventive value.1 In this cross-sectional study all the hospitalized patients in Shahid Motahari Burn Hospital at Tehran city in the year 2009 were included in the study. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS [ver. 17] software. Out of the 1548 hospitalized patients for burn, 1134 [73.3%] left hospital in good conditions, 47 [3%] left in relatively good conditions, 289 [18.7%] died and 78 [5%] persons left the Hospital satisfactorily on their own volition. About two-thirds of the patients were men. The mean age of the burn victims was 27.9 +/- 18.3 years, 16% of them being 5 years old or younger. The highest percentage of burn area was 30% of the total body surface which was seen in 20 to 30-year old patients. 58.7% of burns had been caused by fire. 94% of the burns had happened accidentally, 5% by suicidal and 1% by homicidal acts. The highest percentage of burn was observed in patients in whom the burn agent was fire. Six [4%] persons had first degree, 820 [53%] persons had second degree and 722 [46.6%] had third degree burns. In patients who had committed suicide third degree burns were higher than second degree burns [7.7% vs. 2%]. 24.4% of women and 16.6% of men died due to the burns. The rate of death in patients less than 50 years of age was 18% but the figure increased to 24% in those above 50. A burn area less than or more than 10% was, respectively correlated with 2.1% and 22.1% of deaths. 34.8% of the patients with third degree burns and 4.6% of those with second and first degree burns died. 58.3% of the suicidal patient died due to the severity of the burns relative to 16.7% due to other causes. 89 [5.7%] patients had respiratory tract burns and the death rate was 58.4% among these patients while the death rate was 16.2% in patients without respiratory tract involvement. The results of logistic regression analysis revealed that age more than 50 years, female sex, burn area greater than 10% [previous studies 40%], 2 third degree burns, respiratory tract involvement and suicide increased the risk of death in burn patients