EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF BURN INJURIES IN BASRAH

Abstract

This is a retrospective analytic study of the data collected from inpatients admitted to Basrah Teaching hospital during the period 1992 �1998. They were 1726 patients (not include those treated as outpatients) classified as males & females, adults and children (<12 years of age) with an average annual admission of 246.5 patients. The bulk of the cases are adult females and children males. Sex ratio is 1.1: 1 but with variation according to age. Adult to children ratio is 1.4: 1. Seasonality is not that clear but showed some increase in winter months. The flame burn cases formed the bulk of the burn being 52.9% followed by scalds and electric burn. The most common place of burn is home and especially the kitchen and bathroom. Overall mortality is 23.1% with age and sex variation.