Prevalence, pattern, and long-term outcome of facial burns among Riyadh city population: a 10-year study.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the patterns and prevalence of facial burns among adults in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia on September 2023. Retrospective data collection was carried out from the hospital's Electronic Health Record database, and the subsequent data entry, management, and analysis were executed using R Studio (V.4.1.3). The incidence rate of facial burns was higher in males, comprising 71.61% (n=111) of cases, while females accounted for 28.39% (n=44). Employment status varied, with 22.58% (n=35) of patients being employed and only 7.10% (n=11) identified as students. Flame burns were the most common type, constituting 78.06% (n=121) with second-degree burns constituting 38.7% (n=60). The study revealed that the facial burns were mostly associated with upper limb burns (n=88) with majority of the patients undergoing medical treatment constituting 71.61% (n=111). The study revealed that the major cause of ICU admission was intubation constituting 72.22% (n=52), while septic shock was the leading cause of death among ICU-admitted patients, representing 72.73% (n=16) of cases. In this study of 155 facial burn cases, flame burns, often resulting in second-degree injuries, were the most common type. Intubation emerged as a leading cause of ICU admission, with septic shock as the primary cause of death among ICU patients. These findings underscore the need for specialized care and preventive measures for facial burns.