Objective: This paper presents demographic data, morbidity and outcomes of patients with electrical burns who were admitted to our four-bed Burns ICU.
Method: Using a sample of 36 patients who were hospitalized between 2001 and 2016 on the burns intensive care unit, we outline a retrospective study of our own experience. We have recorded and evaluated: the patients’ age, sex, nationality, socioeconomic status, mechanism of injury, coexistence and extent of damage from thermal injury, surgical procedures/amputations, severity of the patients’ conditions on admission and during hospitalization on the burns ICU (SOFA, APACHE II, SAPS II), duration of ICU stay, complications, duration of intubation, and respiratory support, and outcome.
Results: The 36 patients who had sustained electrical injuries made up 7.9% of all our burns ICU admissions. Of these, 97% were male, 2.7% < 15 years of age, 72.3% between 15 and 50, while 25% were over 50. Infection of the burn wound was the most common complication, but renal failure and amputation also presented serious problems. The mortality rate was 5.5%. (Two patients died from septic shock).
Discussion / Conclusion: Those with electrical burns make up a small percentage of the patients treated in the burns ICU. A low mortality was observed, the main cause of death being septic shock.

An overview of 16 years of admissions for electrical burns to Burn ICU of Papanikolaou Hospital, Greece