Evaluation of hospitalized burn patients in Sivas city center longitudinally for six months and comparison with a previously held community based survey

Year 2016, Volume: 24 Issue: 1, 27 - 31, 01.04.2016

Ömer Faruk Erin Sarper Yılmaz Nazım Gümüş

Abstract

Aims: This study has been designed to demonstrate the rate and epidemiology of hospitalized burn victims in Sivas city center within 6 months period longitudinally. The second aim was to compare the results of current study with a previously held community based survey in the same region. Methods: The patients who were hospitalized due to burn injuries in Sivas province for six months were evaluated longitudinally. Epidemiological data of these patients was analyzed. Results: In the course of the study, 87 patients (49 male and 38 female) were hospitalized. The ratio of the burn patients to the total number of hospitalized patients was 0.38%. The most common etiologic factor was scalds (70.1%). The place of burn was generally kitchen (41.4%) and living room (31.4%), and the majority of the cases had received cold water as the first aid treatment at the very moment of the injury. The vast majority of the patients were discharged from the hospital without a need of surgical intervention (83.9%), and the duration of the treatment was between 1-14 days for 73.6% of the patients. Sixty cases (68.9%) had burn surface under 10 percent. Total cost of the hospitalization period of these patients was 137.225 Turkish Lira (83.308-92.908 $), the average cost per patient was 1.577 Turkish Lira (957-1067 $). Conclusion: Our current study revealed a considerable inconsistency when compared with the community based survey which has been held in the same region previously. We concluded that hospital based studies are far from reflecting the actual burn trauma potential of a given district in the absence of a reliable, standart nation wide record system. Population based surveys should be encouraged in order to make an accurate assessment for burn rates in countries lacking reliable record systems.

Keywords

Burn, hospital, evaluation, cost