Predictors of household direct cost of burn injury in adult patients at a tertiary healthcare facility in Ghana: an analytical cross-sectional study in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Introduction: treatment of severe burn injury generally requires enormous human and material resources including specialized intensive care, staged surgery, and continued restoration. This contributes to the enormous burden on patients and their families. The cost of burn treatment is influenced by many factors including the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patient. This study aimed to determine the costs of burn care and its associated predictive factors in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Methods: an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 65 consenting adult patients on admission at the Burns Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients as well as the direct cost of burns treatment were obtained. Multiple regression analysis was done to determine the predictors of the direct cost of burn care. Results: a total of sixty-five (65) participants were enrolled in the study with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4: 1 and a mean age of 35.9 ± 14.6 years. Nearly 85% sustained between 10-30% total body surface area burns whilst only 6.2% (4) had burns more than 30% of total body surface area. The mean total cost of burns treatment was GHS 22,333.15 (USD 3,897.58). Surgical treatment, wound dressing and medication charges accounted for 45.6%, 27.5% and 9.8% of the total cost of burn respectively. Conclusion: the direct costs of burn treatment were substantially high and were predicted by the percentage of total body surface area burn and length of hospital stay.

The cost of keeping warm: a relationship between a rise in the cost of domestic energy and burn injuries caused by personal heating equipment.

INTRODUCTION: During 2022-2023, the UK found itself in the midst of a domestic energy crisis, with the average domestic gas and electricity bill rising by 75% between 2019 and 2022. As a result, the use of hot water bottles, radiant heaters, and electric blankets increased. An unintended consequence of this may be an increase in burn injuries caused by misfortune, misuse, or the use of items in a state of disrepair. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore any increase in referrals to a single burns centre in England for injuries caused by hot water bottles, radiant heaters, or electric blankets. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of a prospectively maintained database of referrals. All referrals between January 2022 and January 2023 were selected and compared with the same period from 2020-2021 (before the rise in energy prices). Referrals were screened for the terms "hot water bottle," "electric heater," "electric blanket," and "heater." Total referrals in each period, demographic data (age, gender), anatomical location and the mechanism of injury were compared between cohorts. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant increase in the number of burns relating to heating implements between 2020/21 and 2022/23, rising from 54 to 81 (p = 0.03) - a 50% increase in injuries. Injuries in working age adults increased significantly (52% to 69%, p < 0.05). The most frequently injured area was the leg (30%) followed by the hand (18%). The commonest type of injury described was scald (72%). We found a moderately-strong correlation between the number of referrals and the average cost of energy in 2022-23. CONCLUSION: The number of injuries sustained by people using personal heating equipment is significantly increasing, which correlated with the rise in domestic energy prices. The most affected demographic appears to be working age adults, with wider implications around lost work-time yet to be explored. Further prospective, population-based work is indicated to assess the strength of the correlation seen in this study.

The economic burden of burned patients for hospitalization in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries pose a significant burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Yet, costs arising from the consumption of resources by these patients are rarely examined in Canada. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess real-world costs resulting from the initial hospitalization of patients admitted to a major burn unit in Quebec, Canada. METHODS: A cost study based on a retrospective cohort was undertaken using in-hospital economic data matched to hospital chart data. Our cohort included all burn-injured patients admitted between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2021, to the hospital's major burn unit during their initial hospitalization. Descriptive statistics were tabulated for sociodemographic and economic data. Costing data were analyzed unstratified and stratified according to burn severity (i.e., ≥ 20% of total body surface area [TBSA] vs. < 20%). Costs were presented in CAD 2021. RESULTS: Our cohort included 362 patients, including 65 (18%) with TBSA ≥ 20%. The average initial hospitalization cost was $32,360 ($22,783 for < 20% TBSA and $76,121 for ≥ 20% TBSA). CONCLUSION: Findings reveal that the total cost of the initial hospitalization, from a public hospital perspective, was $11,714,348. Our study underlines the substantial burden associated with burns and highlights the need for long-term cost evaluations.

Evaluating Real-World National and Regional Trends in Definitive Closure in U.S. Burn Care: A Survey of U.S. Burn Centers.

To better understand trends in burn treatment patterns related to definitive closure, this study sought to benchmark real-world survey data with national data contained within the National Burn Repository version 8.0 (NBR v8.0) across key burn center practice patterns, resource utilization, and clinical outcomes. A survey, administered to a representative sample of U.S. burn surgeons, collected information across several domains: burn center characteristics, patient characteristics including number of patients and burn size and depth, aggregate number of procedures, resource use such as autograft procedure time and dressing changes, and costs. Survey findings were aggregated by key outcomes (number of procedures, costs) nationally and regionally. Aggregated burn center data were also compared to the NBR to identify trends relative to current treatment patterns. Benchmarking survey results against the NBR v8.0 demonstrated shifts in burn center patient mix, with more severe cases being seen in the inpatient setting and less severe burns moving to the outpatient setting. An overall reduction in the number of autograft procedures was observed compared to NBR v8.0, and time efficiencies improved as the intervention time per TBSA decreases as TBSA increases. Both nationally and regionally, an increase in costs was observed. The results suggest resource use estimates from NBR v8.0 may be higher than current practices, thus highlighting the importance of improved and timely NBR reporting and further research on burn center standard of care practices. This study demonstrates significant variations in burn center characteristics, practice patterns, and resource utilization, thus increasing our understanding of burn center operations and behavior.

Burn Center Organization and Cellular Therapy Integration: Managing Risks and Costs.

The complex management of severe burn victims requires an integrative collaboration of multidisciplinary specialists in order to ensure quality and excellence in healthcare. This multidisciplinary care has quickly led to the integration of cell therapies in clinical care of burn patients. Specific advances in cellular therapy together with medical care have allowed for rapid treatment, shorter residence in hospitals and intensive care units, shorter durations of mechanical ventilation, lower complications and surgery interventions, and decreasing mortality rates. However, naturally fluctuating patient admission rates increase pressure toward optimized resource utilization. Besides, European translational developments of cellular therapies currently face potentially jeopardizing challenges on the policy front. The aim of the present work is to provide key considerations in burn care with focus on architectural and organizational aspects of burn centers, management of cellular therapy products, and guidelines in evolving restrictive regulations relative to standardized cell therapies. Thus, based on our experience, we present herein integrated management of risks and costs for preserving and optimizing clinical care and cellular therapies for patients in dire need.

The Economics of Burn Injuries Among Children Aged 0 to 4 Years in British Columbia.

Children under the age of 5 years have the highest rate of hospitalization and mortality from burns. Studies of costs associated with pediatric burns have included a limited number of patients and focused on inpatient and complication costs, limiting our understanding of the full economic burden of pediatric burns. This study aimed to develop a costing model for burn injuries among children to estimate the economic burden of child burns in British Columbia, Canada. Costs of services and resources used by children aged 0 to 4 years old who were treated at BC Children's Hospital (BCCH) between January 1, 2014 and March 15, 2018 for a burn injury were estimated and summed, using a micro-costing approach. The average cost of burn injuries per percentage of total body surface area (%TBSA) was then applied to the number of 0 to 4 years old children treated for a burn injury across British Columbia between January 1 and December 31, 2016. Based on 342 included children, a 1-5%, 6-10%, 11-20%, and >20% burn, respectively cost an average of $3338.80, $13,460.00, $20,228.80, and $109,881.00 to society. The societal cost of child burns in BC in 2016 totaled $2,711,255.01. In conclusion, pediatric burn injuries place an important, yet preventable economic burden on society. Preventing even a small number of severe pediatric burns or multiple small burns may have considerable economic impacts on society and allow for the reallocation of healthcare funds toward other clinical priorities.

A comprehensive, integrated approach to quality improvement and capacity building in burn care and prevention in low and middle-income countries: An overview.

Consistent evidence has emerged over many years that the mortality and morbidity outcomes for burn patients in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) lag behind those in more resource rich countries. Interburns is a charity that was set up with the aim of working to reduce the disparity in the number of cases of burns as well as the outcomes for patients in LMICs. This paper provides an overview of a cyclical framework for quality improvement in burn care for use in LMICs that has been developed using an iterative process over the last 10 years. Each phase of the process is outlined together with a description of the tools used to conduct a gap analysis within the service, which is then used to frame a programme of capacity enhancement. Recent externally reviewed projects have demonstrated sustained improvement with the use of this comprehensive and integrated approach over a three-year cycle. This overview paper will be supported by further publications that present these results in detail.

The Effect of Surgical Intervention on Pediatric Burn Injury Survival in a Resource-Poor Setting.

INTRODUCTION: Burns are one of the most common injuries sustained globally. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected by burn injury morbidity and mortality; African children have the highest burn mortality globally. In high-income countries, early surgical intervention has shown to improve survival. However, when applied to burn victims in LMICs, improved survival in the early excision cohort (≤5 d) was not seen. Therefore, we aimed to determine the magnitude of the effect of surgical intervention on burn injury survival. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected data, utilizing the Kamuzu Central Hospital Burn Database from May 2011 to July 2019, was performed. Pediatric patients (≤12 y) were included. Patients were excluded if they underwent surgical intervention for nonacute burn care management. Bivariate analyses stratifying by type of surgical intervention was performed, comparing demographics, burn characteristics, surgical intervention, and patient mortality. Standardized estimates were adjusted using the inverse-probability of treatment weights to account for confounding. Weighted logistic regression modeling was performed to determine the odds of mortality based on if a patient underwent surgical intervention. RESULTS: During the study, 2364 patients were seen at the Kamuzu Central Hospital, 1785 (75.5%) were children ≤12 y who met inclusion criteria. In the overall cohort, 342 (19.2%) underwent operations, including split-thickness skin graft (n = 196, 57.3%), debridement (n = 116, 33.9%), escharotomy (n = 19, 5.6%), and amputation (n = 1, 0.3%). The surgery cohort was older (4.2 ± 3.1 versus 3.1 ± 2.6 y, P < 0.001) with larger percent total body surface area burns (16%, interquartile range: 10-24 versus 13%, interquartile range: 8-20, P < 0.001) than those who did not have surgery. In the propensity score-weighted logistic regression predicting survival, patients undergoing surgery after burn injury had an increased odds of survival (odds ratio: 5.24, 95% confidence interval: 2.40-11.44, P = 0.003) when compared with patients not undergoing surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In this propensity-weighted analysis, surgical intervention following burn injury increases the odds of survival by a factor of 5.24 when compared with patients not undergoing surgical intervention. Efforts to enhance burn infrastructure to deliver surgical care is imperative to attenuate burn mortality in resource-poor settings.

Burn service costing using a mixed model methodology.

INTRODUCTION: The escalating cost of modern healthcare is threatening the fundamental "free at the point of delivery" principle of the UK National Health Services. A new remuneration system using a fixed tariff for pre-assigned diagnostic groups caters poorly for the heterogeneity of burn injuries. This study was to develop a system for Patient Level Costing (PLC), the first steps of which were to determine the true cost of burn care at service level. METHODS: Detailed interrogation was conducted of the cost of care in our Burns & Plastic Surgery Department. Costs were determined through the amalgamation of two fundamental methodologies: (1) Top-Down Costing (from detailed budgetary analysis for the hospital) and (2) Bottom-Up Costing (detailed itemised costing of staff, equipment, drugs, consumables & maintenance). These costs were categorised & using various apportionment tools, traced to specific care areas. RESULTS: We demonstrated that the accuracy of costs derived by host organisations cannot be relied upon (our Burn Service was 62% more expensive than estimated by our host organisation), which therefore questions the accuracy of most published work on burn care costing based upon these assumptions. Using our costing model, an analysis was made of the cost of running the Department with zero activity but "open & ready for business". Costs such as drugs and consumables were thus removed. This demonstrated that despite no clinical activity, costs still remained at 90% of full occupancy cost and are thus fixed costs. CONCLUSIONS: We hope application of this new system of Patient Level Costing to burn care will avoid the threatened viability of burn services imposed by changes in remuneration, although it will inevitably be an iterative process. A fuller understanding of the true cost of healthcare, facilitates service development and planning, both at a local and national level.

Effect of the Affordable Care Act on a Safety-Net Burn Center.

We hypothesized that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have beneficial financial effects on our burn center at a safety-net hospital. We performed a retrospective chart review of all burn patients admitted to our center from 2008-2016. These were further divided into three time periods: 2008-2010 (pre-ACA), 2011-2013 (transitional), and 2014-2016 (post-ACA). Cost and reimbursement dollars were adjusted to health personal consumption expenditures price index. Total charges increased from the pre-ACA group ($69,400) to the transitional group ($85,600) and increased again in the post-ACA group ($100,100) (p<.001). When looking at reimbursements relative to charges, actual reimbursement by percentage dropped over each time period. Despite an increase in insured patients, our burn center actually saw a decrease in reimbursements relative to billing.

Estudio económico del tratamiento de las quemaduras térmicas mediante desbridamiento enzimático; papel determinante de la estancia hospitalaria / Economics of thermal burns treatment by enzymatic debridement; the pivotal role of hospital length-of-stay

Introducción y Objetivo: El desbridamiento enzimático con Nexo-brid(R), concentrado de enzimas proteolíticas enriquecidas en bromelaína, supone un avance terapéutico importante. El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar un análisis económico del tratamiento de quemaduras térmicas con Nexobrid(R), investigando los determinantes del coste. Material y Método: Analizamos retrospectivamente los recursos utilizados en el tratamiento mediante desbridamiento enzimático con Nexobrid(R) de las heridas por quemadura térmica de espesor parcial superficial/profundo y completo, de los pacientes adultos ingresados consecutivamente en nuestro hospital entre 2014 y 2016. Investigamos la participación de cada recurso en el coste total para algunos subgrupos de pacientes. Resultados: Estudiamos a 71 pacientes con edad media de 45.4 años; el 73.2% varones. Las lesiones fueron en un 64.8% por llama el 77.5% fueron quemaduras dérmicas profundas y la superficie corporal total afectada fue ≤10% en el 70.4%. El coste medio estimado por paciente fue de 20.844€ (rango: 2.192€ - 145.198€), correspondiendo el 68,1% a la estancia en la Unidad de Quemados Críticos y en hospitalización convencional y el 13.9% al uso de Nexobrid(R). El coste medio de las quemaduras subdérmicas fue significativamente superior al de las dérmicas profundas (p=0.0004) y dérmicas superficiales (p=0.013). El porcentaje de superficie corporal total quemada marcó una diferencia significativa del coste (p<0.0001), observando una correlación importante (R2 = 0.77) con la estancia hospitalaria total. Conclusiones: La estancia hospitalaria en Unidad de Quemados Críticos y en hospitalización convencional constituye el principal determinante del coste del tratamiento de las quemaduras térmicas de espesor parcial superficial/profundo y completo mediante desbridamiento enzimático (48,7% y 19,4% del total, respectivamente); Nexobrid(R)contribuye sólo con un 13,9% del total. Asimismo, el porcentaje de superficie corporal total quemada muestra una fuerte correlación con la estancia hospitalaria

Background and Objective: Enzymatic debridement with Nexo-brid(R), a concentrate of proteolytic enzymes enriched in bromelain, represents an important therapeutic breakthrough. Our aim is to carry out an economic analysis of the treatment of thermal burns with Nexobrid(R), researching the cost determinants. Methods: We analyzed retrospectively the resources used in the treatment by enzymatic debridement with Nexobrid(R) of wounds by thermal burn of superficial/deep partial and full-thickness, of the adult patients admitted consecutively in our hospital (2014-2016). Participation of each resource in total cost was analyzed for some patient subgroups. Results: Seventy one patients were analyzed: age: 45.4 years; men: 73.2%; flame wound: 64.8%; full-thickness burn: 77.5%; Total Body Surface Area ≤10%: 70.4%. Average cost per patient was estimated in €20.844 (range: €2.192-€145.198); 68.1% was associated to length of Critical Burn Unit and conventional hospital stay. Cost of full-thickness burns was significantly higher than that of the superficial (p=0.013) and deep partial ones (p=0.0004). Total Body Surface Area leaded a significant cost difference (p<0.0001), showing a high correlation (R2=0.77) with the total hospital length of stay. Conclusions: Hospital length of stay (Critical Burn Unit and conventional hospital) is the main cost determinant of the treatment of thermal burns of superficial/deep partial and full-thickness with enzymatic debridement (48.7% and 19.4%, respectively); Nexobrid(R) contributes only with 13.9% of total cost. Likewise, total body surface area shows a strong correlation with length of stay

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Optimizing mass casualty burns intensive care organization and treatment using evidence-based outcome predictors.

BACKGROUND: Majority of current research focuses on pre-hospital care in mass casualty incidents (MCI) whereas this study is the first to examine multifactorial aspects of intensive care unit (ICU) resource management during a surge in massive burn injury (MBI) patients whilst identifying key outcome predictors that resulted in successful disaster managements. METHODS: Both critical care, surgical parameters and cost-effectiveness are investigated in patients admitted with severe burns resulting from the explosion. A fully integrated trauma response and expansion of critical care resources in Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) in this incident is analyzed. RESULTS: 52 burn patients were treated in CGMH and 27 patients (51.9%) had TBSA greater than 45% with the mean TBSA of 44.6±20.3%. ICU based management of MBI including early debridement and resource strategizing. The overall mortality rate was 2/52 (3.85%). Patients had an average of 14.8days on mechanical ventilation and 43days as an inpatient in total. Operative treatment wise, 44.2% of patients received escharotomies and each patient received an average of 2 skin grafting procedures. The initial TBSA was a significant predictor for burn wound infection (OR 1.107, 95% CI 1.023-1.298; p=0.011). Each patient cost an average of USD 1035 per TBSA% with an average total cost of USD 50415. CONCLUSION: With ever increasing chances of terrorist activity in urban areas, hospitals can hopefully increase their preparedness using outcome-predictors presented in this study.

The management of small area burns and unexpected illness after burn in children under five years of age - A costing study in the English healthcare setting.

The objective of this economic study was to evaluate the resource use and cost associated with the management of small area burns, including the additional costs associated with unexpected illness after burn in children of less than five years of age. This study was conducted as a secondary analysis of a multi-centre prospective observational cohort study investigating the physiological response to burns in children. 452 children were included in the economic analysis (median age=1.60years, 61.3% boys, median total burn surface area [TBSA]=1.00%) with a mean length of stay of 0.69 days. Of these children, 21.5% re-presented to medical care with an unexpected illness within fourteen days of injury. The cost of managing a burn of less than 10% TBSA in a child less than five years of age was £785. The additional cost associated with the management of illness after burn was £1381. A generalised linear regression model was used to determine the association between an unexpected illness after burn, presenting child characteristics and NHS cost. Our findings may be of value to those planning economic evaluations of novel technologies in burn care.

Improvement in mortality at a National Burn Centre since 2000: Was it the result of increased resources?

The aim of this study was to find out whether the charging costs (calculated using interventional burn score) increased as mortality decreased.During the last 2 decades, mortality has declined significantly in the Linköping Burn Centre. The burn score that we use has been validated as a measure of workload and is used to calculate the charging costs of each burned patient.We compared the charging costs and mortality in 2 time periods (2000-2007 and 2008-2015). A total of 1363 admissions were included. We investigated the change in the burn score, as a surrogate for total costs per patient. Multivariable regression was used to analyze risk-adjusted mortality and burn score.The median total body surface area % (TBSA%) was 6.5% (10-90 centile 1.0-31.0), age 33 years (1.3-72.2), duration of stay/ TBSA% was 1.4 days (0.3-5.3), and 960 (70%) were males. Crude mortality declined from 7.5% in 2000-2007 to 3.4% in 2008-2015, whereas the cumulative burn score was not increased (P  =  .08). Regression analysis showed that risk-adjusted mortality decreased (odds ratio 0.42, P  =  .02), whereas the adjusted burn score did not change (P  =  .14, model R 0.86).Mortality decreased but there was no increase in the daily use of resources as measured by the interventional burn score. The data suggest that the improvements in quality obtained have been achieved within present routines for care of patients (multidisciplinary/orientated to patients' safety).

Treatment costs of burn victims in a university hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the direct costs of treating critically ill patients in the intensive care unit of a center specializing in treating burns. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of 180 patients from May 2011 to May 2013. Clinical and demographic data were collected in addition to data for the calculation of severity scores. The costs related to daily clinical and surgical treatment were evaluated until hospital outcome. The costs were grouped into five blocks: Clinical support, Drugs and blood products, Medical procedures, Specific burn procedures and Hospital fees. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: There was a predominance of males, 131 (72.8%). The mean age of the patients was 42.0±15.3years and the mean burned body surface area was 27.9±17%. The median length of stay in intensive care beds was 15.0 (interquartile range IQR: 7.0-24.8) days and the median hospital stay was 23.0 (IQR: 14.0-34.0) days. The mean daily cost was US$ 1330.48 (standard error of the mean SE=38.36) and the mean total cost of hospitalization was US$ 39,594.90 (SE: 2813.11). The drugs and blood products block accounted for the largest fraction of the total costs (US$ 18,086.09; SE 1444.55). There was a difference in the daily costs of survivors and non survivors (US$ 1012.89; SE: 29.38 and US$ 1866.11, SE: 36.43, respectively, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The direct costs of the treatment of burn patients at the study center were high. The drugs and blood products block presented the highest mean total and daily costs. Non surviving patients presented higher costs.

Clinical management of electrical burns in the developing world: a case of electrical burn injury left untreated leading to amputation.

We discuss the case of a 26-year-old male patient from Northern Samar, the Philippines who was left without essential health services after the amputation of all four limbs following a high voltage (20 000 volts) injury in Metro Manila in 2011. Local health services in the developing world are faced with enormous challenges in providing first-line care for burn patients. The cost of maintaining a burn unit, finding suitable qualified staff, and appropriate referral mechanisms are only some of the challenges faced. Once a patient is discharged from hospital they face more obstacles in obtaining artificial limbs, physiotherapy and access to mental health services. Disability pensions are non-existent thus patients place a considerable lifelong burden on their families.

Cost Analysis of 48 Burn Patients in a Mass Casualty Explosion Treated at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the costs of treating burn patients after a mass casualty event. A devastating Color Dust explosion that injured 499 patients occurred on June 27, 2015 in Taiwan. This study was performed to investigate the economic effects of treating burn patients at a single medical center after an explosion disaster. METHODS: A detailed retrospective analysis on 48 patient expense records at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital after the Color Dust explosion was performed. Data were collected during the acute treatment period between June 27, 2015 and September 30, 2015. The distribution of cost drivers for the entire patient cohort (n=48), patients with a percent total body surface area burn (%TBSA)≥50 (n=20), and those with %TBSA <50 (n=28) were analyzed. RESULTS: The total cost of 48 burn patients over the acute 3-month time period was $2,440,688, with a mean cost per patient of $50,848 ±36,438. Inpatient ward fees (30%), therapeutic treatment fees (22%), and medication fees (11%) were found to be the three highest cost drivers. The 20 patients with a %TBSA ≥50 consumed $1,559,300 (63.8%) of the total expenses, at an average cost of $77,965±34,226 per patient. The 28 patients with a %TBSA <50 consumed $881,387 (36.1%) of care expenses, at an average cost of $31,478±23,518 per patient. CONCLUSIONS: In response to this mass casualty event, inpatient ward fees represented the largest expense. Hospitals can reduce this fee by ensuring wound dressing and skin substitute materials are regionally stocked and accessible. Medication fees may be higher than expected when treating a mass burn cohort. In preparation for a future event, hospitals should anticipate patients with a %TBSA≥50 will contribute the majority of inpatient expenses.

Economic burden of burn injuries in the Netherlands: A 3 months follow-up study.

INTRODUCTION: Burn care has rapidly improved in the past decades. However, healthcare innovations can be expensive, demanding careful choices on their implementation. Obtaining knowledge on the extent of the costs of burn injuries is an essential first step for economic evaluations within burn care. The objective of this study was to determine the economic burden of patients with burns admitted to a burn centre and to identify important cost categories until 3 months post-burn. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the burn centre of Maasstad Hospital Rotterdam, the Netherlands, including all patients with acute burn related injuries from August 2011 until July 2012. Total costs were calculated from a societal perspective, until 3 months post injury. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine whether the mean total costs per patient differed by age, aetiology or percentage total body surface area (TBSA) burned. RESULTS: In our population, with a mean burn size of 8%, mean total costs were €26,540 per patient varying from €742 to €235,557. Most important cost categories were burn centre days (62%), surgical interventions (5%) and work absence (20%). Flame burns were significantly more costly than other types of burns, adult patients were significantly more costly than children and adolescents and a higher percentage TBSA burned also corresponded to significantly higher costs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Mean total costs of burn care in the first 3 months post injury were estimated at €26,540 and depended on age, aetiology and TBSA. Mean total costs in our population probably apply to other high-income countries as well, although we should realise that patients with burn injuries are diverse and represent a broad range of total costs. To reduce costs of burn care, future intervention studies should focus on a timely wound healing, reducing length of stay and enabling an early return to work.