Etiological And Demographic Profile Of Burn Injury In Kashmir Valley

摘要

Background: Changing trends in etiology and demography of burn injury due to mechanization and modernization of society of Kashmir.Purpose: To evaluate the etiological and demographic profile of burn injury in Kashmir valley.Material and methods: A prospective study on 1000 consecutive patients admitted in the burn unit was conducted over a period of five years. A data collected after detailed history with regard to age, sex, residence, type, cause and place of burn, and a thorough general and systemic examination. Estimation of the burn surface area was done as per the Lund-Browder chart and the clinical assessment of the depth was carried out. Data collected was tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis.Results: The mean age of patients was 21.91±11.54 years. 79% patients were from rural and 21% from urban dwellings. Females (59%) were more commonly affected than males (41%). The most common type of burn were flame burn in 72% of cases followed by, scald in 22%. The most common place of burn was home 87% followed by workplace in 10% of cases, 87% of burn occurred accidently, 9% suicidal and 4% were homicidal in nature. Conclusion: We conclude that accidental flame burn injury is more common in Kashmiri rural young women who have more domestic involvement and spend most of time near fire. Introduction Fire was, perhaps, man’s first double-edged sword, for, throughout history, it has both served and destroyed mankind. From time to time, fire leapt out at man and caused what remains today one of the most painful of human experiences, the burn. A burn occurs when some or all of the different layers of cells in the skin are destroyed by a hot liquid (scald), a hot solid (contact burns) or a flame (flame burns). Skin injuries due to ultraviolet radiation, radioactivity, electricity or chemicals, as well as respiratory damage resulting from smoke inhalation, are also considered as burns. The injury represents an assault on all aspects of the patient, from the physical to the psychological. It affects all ages, from babies to elderly people, and is a problem in both the developed and developing world. All of us have experienced the severe pain that even a small burn can bring. However the pain and distress caused by a large burn are not limited to the immediate event. The visible physical and the invisible psychological scars are long lasting and often lead to chronic disability. Burns are a major problem in the developing world. Over two million burn injuries are thought to occur each year in India (population 500 million), but this may be a substantial underestimate. Mortality in the developing world is much higher than in the developed world. Most burns are due to flame injuries. Burns due to scalds are the next most common. The most infrequent burns are those caused by electrocution and chemical injuries.1 Burns and death due to burns continue to remain an important public health and social problem in India. The incidence is particularly high among the ‘‘young married females’‘2,3 belonging to lower socio-economic groups4. Material and methods This prospective study was conducted over a period of five years from 1 st June 2006 to 31 st May 2011 in the Department of Surgery Government Medical College on 1000 consecutive patients admitted in the burn unit. A detailed history was taken with regard to age, sex, residence, type, cause and place of burn, and a thorough general and systemic examination was performed and appropriate investigations were done as required. Estimation of the burn surface area was done as per the Lund-Browder chart and the clinical assessment of the depth was carried out. Data collected was tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. Results The mean age of patients was 21.91±11.54 years. The youngest patient was 8 months and the oldest was 60 years of age and 92.30% patients were in the age group of 16-30 years.79% patients were from rural and 21% from urban dwellings. Females (59%) were more com