A Study of Burn Injuries in Patients Admitted to the Burn Unit, Suez Canal University Hospital: Medico-Legal Perspectives

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt.

2 Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University (SCU), Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

Burn injuries present a major public health concern. This study aimed to assess burn injuries and their outcome in patients admitted to the Burn Unit of Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt from the medico-legal point of view and to determine factors that affect their mortality. The medical records of all patients admitted to the Burn Unit, Suez Canal University Hospital in the period between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The total number was 292 patient, the mean age of patients was 17.5±17.2 years; children less than 5 years of age were more exposed to burn injuries (35.6%) than other age groups. Males constituted 68.1% of the study group, while 63% came from rural areas. Flame burns and scalds represented 48.2% and 44.9% respectively with a predominance of injuries in colder months. The majority of cases (72.6%) showed a percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) less than 20%. Upper extremities were most commonly affected (58.2%). A significant relationship was found between TBSA and each of: type of burn, duration of the hospital stay, ICU admission and outcome. A significant relation was also found between type of burn and each of: age, gender, and duration of hospital stay. Mortality rate was 5.5% of cases and septicemia was the most common cause of death (43.8%). Using stepwise logistic regression, TBSA and ICU admission were the only detected mortality predictors.

Keywords

Mansoura Journal of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology
Volume 25, Issue 1
January 2017
Pages 79-91

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics