Epidemiological Characteristics of Hospitalized Burn Patients-A 10-Year Retrospective Study in a Major Burn Center in Serbia.

Abstract

Background: Many European countries' epidemiological data on burns were analyzed. This research aimed to analyze the key epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized burn patients in Serbia's major burn unit over 10 years, as well as to create the very first national epidemiological dataset with the basic requirements for future epidemiological studies.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, and demographic, clinical, and burn characteristics, as well as predictors of mortality, were analyzed.

Results: A total of 996 patients were included. The mean age of the population was 54.65 ± 27.15 years. Regarding etiology, flame was the most common (49.0%). Patient comorbidities were noted on admission in 50.1% of cases. The mean % of total burn surface area (TBSA) was 16.89 ± 18.72%. Inhalation injury was confirmed in 7.5% of patients, and a total of 10.3% of patients required mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. The requirement for mechanical ventilation support was the strongest independent predictor of mortality, while other independent predictors of mortality were male gender, higher %TBSA, deep burns, mechanism of injury, an extended total length of stay (LOS), the occurrence of complications during hospitalization, and conservative treatment modalities.

Conclusion: Burn injury mortality remains high, and %TBSA, burn depth, mechanical ventilation requirement, inhalation injury, and the presence of comorbidities on admission unfavorably influence mortality rates.