Burn injury as a public health problem in Odisha: clinico-epidemiological study of patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital and prospects for control

Authors

  • Ranjit Kumar Sahu Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
  • Debarati Chakraborty Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
  • Soumen Jana Department of Business Management, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2380-9884

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20233452

Keywords:

Burn injury, Healthcare-seeking behaviour, Hospital admission, Injury pattern

Abstract

Background: Burn injuries continue to pose a significant and preventable global health challenge, with developing countries like India experiencing a troubling rise in cases. This study aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics and patterns of burn injuries among patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital's.

Methods: Over a six-month period, a hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires, with prior consent from patients or their caregivers. Clinical assessments were also conducted to determine the percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) affected and the most severely affected body part.

Results: 145 patients included in the study, the females were (56.55%), primarily aged between 21 and 40 years. Hindus (58.62%), lived in rural areas (63.45%), and were married (66.90%). Accidental burns accounted for 81.38% of cases, mainly occurring at home (84.83%). Flame burns were more common among females, while electric burns were more prevalent among males. The majority of burn injuries covered up to 30% of TBSA (44.83%), with the upper limbs being the most severely affected (42.76%). Alarmingly, only 36.55% of patients were admitted on the same day as the injury. Infection (55.86%) and amputation (8.97%) were the most common complications observed, and 14 deaths (9.66%) occurred during the study period.

Conclusions: This study highlights the vulnerability of females to flame burns, often stemming from unsafe cooking practices. Delayed hospital admissions were associated with a higher mortality rate. Efforts to promote safety and awareness, particularly in rural areas, are crucial to reducing the burden of burn injuries in India.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

World Health Organization. Fact Sheet: burns, 2018. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs365/en/. Accessed 3 July 2023.

Directorate General of Health Services. Health programmes: national programme on prevention and management of burn injuries, 2017. Available at: http://dghs.gov.in/content/1357_3_National ProgrammePreventionManagement.aspx. Accessed 3 July 2023.

Kumar P, Chaddha A. Epidemiological study of burn cases and their mortality experiences amongst adults from a tertiary level care centre. Indian J Community Med. 1997;22(4):160-7.

Lal P, Rahi M, Jain T, Ingle GK. Epidemiological study of burn injuries in a slum community of Delhi. Indian J Community Med. 2006;31(2):96-7.

Bhardwaj SD, Sinha U. An epidemiological survey of burn injuries in rural area, Bhopal: A cross- sectional Study. Indian J Burns. 2012;20(1):62-5.

Hosseini SN, Rashtchi V, Kamali K, Moghimi MH. Epidemiology and outcome of 2,590 burned patients in Northwest Iran. Ann Burns Fire Disas. 2017;30(2):85-90.

Duci SB, Arifi HM, Selmani ME, Mekaj AY, Buja ZA, Hoxha ET, et al. A retrospective study of 69 patients admitted at the intensive care unit University Clinical Centre of Kosovo during the period 2008-2012. Ind J Burns. 2014;22(1):88- 92.

Korah MK, Guria J, Mahto T, Bhengra A. Burn deaths: a study on female victims in Ranchi, Jharkhand. J Dental Medical Sci. 2016;15(11):9-11.

Prasad CS, Shubhendu K, Gawasker SP, Singh NK. Profile of burn injuries among autopsies conducted in Dept. of Fmt, Rims, Ranchi. IOSR J Dental Med Sci. 2017;16(8):53-7.

Goswami P, Singodia P, Sinha AK, Tudu T. Five- year epidemiological study of burn patients admitted in burns care unit, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. Indian J Burns. 2016;24:41-6.

Sawhney CP, Ahuja RB, Goel A. Burns in India: Epidemiology and problems in management. Ind J Burns. 1993;1(1):1-4.

Ahuja RB, Bhattacharya S. Burns in the developing world and burn disasters. BMJ. 2004;329(7463):447-9.

Ahuja RB, Bhattacharya S. An analysis of 11,196 burn admissions and evaluation of conservative management techniques. Burns. 2002;28(6):555-61.

Ahuja RB, Bhattacharya S, Rai A. Changing trends of an endemic trauma. Burns. 2009;35(5):650-6.

Chahaun N, Kumar S, Sharma U. Profile of acute thermal burn admissions to intensive care unit of a tertiary burn care center in India. Indian J Burns. 2012;20(1):68-71.

Bhardwaj SD, Sinha U. An epidemiological survey of burn injuries in rural area, Bhopal: A cross-sectional study. Indian J Burns. 2012;20(1):62-5.

Zopate PR, Tirpude BH, Murkey PN. Pattern of burn injury in the rural part of central India. Indian J Burns. 2011;19(1):42-8.

Kumar S, Ali W, Verma AK, Pandey A, Rathore S. Epidemiology and mortality of burns in the Lucknow Region, India-a 5 year study. Burns 2013;39(8):1599-605.

Sanghavi P, Bhalla K, Das V. Fire-related deaths in India in 2001: a retrospective analysis of data. Lancet. 2009;373(9671):1282-8.

Downloads

Published

2023-10-31

How to Cite

Sahu, R. K., Chakraborty, D., & Jana, S. (2023). Burn injury as a public health problem in Odisha: clinico-epidemiological study of patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital and prospects for control. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 10(11), 4205–4211. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20233452

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles