Burns in a Suburban Teaching Hospital: A Retrospective Record Review in Kanchipuram, India

Background: Burn injuries rank among the most severe type of injury with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Burn injuries not only affect patients physical health but also affects their social and psychological well being along with severe economic loss to the individual, their family and to the society. About 90% burn injuries are preventable, but poor adherence of safety measures and awareness leads to disability and disfigurement throughout their life. Hence, the need for various demographic variables to understand the cause and pattern in our region are required.

Objectives: To describe the demographic and socio-cultural aspects of burn patients and to learn the cause of burn victims in our region.

Materials and Methods: A record based retrospective study was conducted at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam, Kanchipuram district. The medical records of all patients over a period of 4 years (January 2017 to December 2020) were reviewed. Data were recorded on a pre-structured and pretested questionnaire. Chi-square test was done to study association between socio-demographic variables and burn injury and (p<0.05) was considered statistically significant.

Results: A total of 208 burn cases were involved in this study out of which 56.7% were females and 43.3% were males. Most of the burn patients were 31-45 years and lived in rural areas. The majority of burn injuries were accidental; thermal burns was the most common cause of deep burns.

Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors are important in raising educational programs and awareness in rural areas for improving quality of life.