Are the type of burns and of accident prognostic factors in burn patients?

Silva E., Lima G., Ferreira C., Rego S., Marques M., Tourais I.
Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Center, Dept of Anesthesiology
Coimbra, Portugal

Background and Goal of Study:
Burn injury is a serious pathology, potentially leading to severe morbidity and significant mortality, but it also has a considerable health-economic impact. The main predictor variables which determine mortality (%) following burn are: age (years), total body surface area burned (TBSA, %) and inhalation injury. There is scarce data regarding the role of the type of burns and type of accident in prognosis. The goal of this study was to evaluate these parameters as prognostic factors in burn patients.

Materials and methods:
Retrospective study performed on all admissions at Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Centre Burn Intensive Care Unit, from January 2013 to December 2015, excluding necrotizing fasciitis and Steven-Johnson syndrome/ toxic epidermal necrolysis/ Lyell syndrome. Statistical analysis made with SPSS 22.0®.

Results and discussion: 
Type of burn was divided into 5 categories: caused by fire, friction, electrical and scald burns and others. Type of accident was divided into: assault, domestic, suicide, work and traffic. From a total of 474 patients, 22 were excluded and 31 died. Neither the type of burn (p=0.125) nor type of accident (p=0.585) were independently associated with mortality.

Conclusion(s):
In our population, none of the parameters studied were significantly different between survivors and non-survivors. 

Keywords: Burns, Intensive Care, Risk.
References:
A normogram for calculation of the Revised Baux Score.
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