The Epidemiology of Intentional Burns

Abstract

We sought to present the epidemiology of intentional burns, both deliberate self-inflicted burns and assault burns. Patient records from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Burn Center were reviewed retrospectively. Information pertaining to demographic and injury characteristics were obtained. Ninety-six patients with intentional burns were identified. Patients sustaining intentional burn injury had larger mean TBSA burned (26.1% vs 13.8%), longer mean hospital length of stay (19.9 days vs 13.2 days), higher incidence of inhalational injury (20.8% vs 8.7%), higher rate of mortality (20.0% vs 9.8%), and were more likely to have an elevated blood alcohol content (14.6% vs 7%) when compared with all other burn patients. Patients with deliberate self-burns were more likely to be men (85.7% vs 55.7%) and more likely to have a positive drug screen test than assault burn patients (11.4% vs 0%). Patients who suffer intentional burns tend to have more severe burns and experience worse outcomes.

Burn related mortality in Greater Manchester: 11-year review of Regional Coronial Department Data

“…This is attributed not only to advancements in the organisation, delivery and practice of burn care but also targeted efforts to prevent injuries [8]. Despite this the epidemiology of burn injury remains poorly described and a review of the published literature contains many examples of ''epidemiological'' studies that usually describe the experience of single burn centres [36][37][38][39][40]. These descriptions have proved useful for highlighting certain patterns of injury that could be the target of prevention strategies but fall short of presenting the entirety of the problem in the context of an at-risk population.…”

Intentional burns in Nepal: A comparative study

“…Patients with intentional burns comprise a patient population with unique clinical presentations [4,5], usually sustaining more severe burns with worse outcomes, including high mortality rates [6,7]. The burden of intentional burn is not equally distributed across the globe [8] with higher incidences reported in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) [8][9][10][11][12] compared with high-income countries where such burns represent only 1-9% of burn admissions [6,13,14].…”

Intentional injuries and patient survival of burns: A 10-year retrospective cohort in southern Brazil

“…Intentional burns can be divided into self-inflicted injuries and injuries from assaults [1], with occurrences varying worldwide [1]. In Brazil, there is a paucity of data regarding this issue.…”