Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience
Abstract Background Burns are a serious public health problem worldwide accounting for an estimated 265,000 deaths annually from fires alone. The vast majority (96%) of deaths from fire-related burns occur in low- and middle-income countries and burns are one of the leading causes of disability-adju...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-020-09372-3 |
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| author | Ndung Ako Forbinake Claude Stephan Ohandza Karl Njuwa Fai Valirie Ndip Agbor Betrand Kealebong Asonglefac Desmond Aroke Gerard Beyiha |
| author_facet | Ndung Ako Forbinake Claude Stephan Ohandza Karl Njuwa Fai Valirie Ndip Agbor Betrand Kealebong Asonglefac Desmond Aroke Gerard Beyiha |
| author_sort | Ndung Ako Forbinake |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Burns are a serious public health problem worldwide accounting for an estimated 265,000 deaths annually from fires alone. The vast majority (96%) of deaths from fire-related burns occur in low- and middle-income countries and burns are one of the leading causes of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in the developing world. Most burn centres are situated in large cities and are inadequate for the high incidence of injuries. An 8 year review of 440 patients in the Douala General Hospital, showed that the majority of patients burned were males (n = 281, 68.9%), the mean age was 25.2 ± 17.77 years with an admission rate of 69.5% (306 patients). The modal and median age were 31.0 years and 25.0 years respectively, interquartile range (0.4–82). Majority of burns (n = 237, 53.9%) had burn surface area ≥ 10%, most burns were 2nd degree (n = 215, 48.9) and the commonest burn agents were flames (n = 170, 37.3%), electricity (n = 119, 26.3%) and water (n = 114, 25.2%). The paucity of data on burn mortality in Cameroon motivated this study and is aimed at determining the mortality rate, causes and factors associated with death of burnt patients in the burn unit of the Douala General Hospital (DGH). Methods It was a retrospective observational study carried out from the 1st of January 2008 to the 31st of December 2015 in the Burn Unit of the Douala General Hospital. An adapted questionnaire was used to collect demographic data, burn agents, burn depth; diagnostic delay, burn surface area, complications, comorbidity, mortality and its causes. Data was transferred to Microsoft Excel 2015 and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for data analysis. Results During this 8 year period, 440 patients were studied and the mortality rate was 23.4% (103 patients). The fatal burn agents were, flames (n = 69, 67.0%), electricity (n = 15, 14.6%), water (n = 12, 11.6%), contact (n = 4, 3.9%), Oil (n = 2, 1.9%) and chemicals (n = 1, 1.0%). The causes of death were shock (n = 36, 35.0%), sepsis (n = 25, 24.3%), acute respiratory distress (n = 25, 24.3%), acute renal failure (n = 6, 5.8%), severe anaemia (n = 4, 3.9%) and unrecorded causes (n = 7, 6.7%). Conclusion A quarter of all patients died mostly from flame burns and to a lesser extent, electricity and scalds. Increase in burn depth and burn surface area worsened the prognosis. Shock (the commonest cause of death), sepsis, acute respiratory distress, acute renal failure and wound infection were significantly associated with mortality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T04:07:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40807576ffcc46019f4f76a6b61434c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T04:07:10Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-40807576ffcc46019f4f76a6b61434c02022-12-21T18:00:36ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582020-08-012011610.1186/s12889-020-09372-3Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experienceNdung Ako Forbinake0Claude Stephan Ohandza1Karl Njuwa Fai2Valirie Ndip Agbor3Betrand Kealebong Asonglefac4Desmond Aroke5Gerard Beyiha6Meri District HospitalDzeng Medicalised Health CentreGraduate School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki UniversityNuffield Department of Population Health, Oxford UniversitySt. Maria Soledad Catholic HospitalNewark Beth Israel Medical CenterBurn Unit, Douala General HospitalAbstract Background Burns are a serious public health problem worldwide accounting for an estimated 265,000 deaths annually from fires alone. The vast majority (96%) of deaths from fire-related burns occur in low- and middle-income countries and burns are one of the leading causes of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in the developing world. Most burn centres are situated in large cities and are inadequate for the high incidence of injuries. An 8 year review of 440 patients in the Douala General Hospital, showed that the majority of patients burned were males (n = 281, 68.9%), the mean age was 25.2 ± 17.77 years with an admission rate of 69.5% (306 patients). The modal and median age were 31.0 years and 25.0 years respectively, interquartile range (0.4–82). Majority of burns (n = 237, 53.9%) had burn surface area ≥ 10%, most burns were 2nd degree (n = 215, 48.9) and the commonest burn agents were flames (n = 170, 37.3%), electricity (n = 119, 26.3%) and water (n = 114, 25.2%). The paucity of data on burn mortality in Cameroon motivated this study and is aimed at determining the mortality rate, causes and factors associated with death of burnt patients in the burn unit of the Douala General Hospital (DGH). Methods It was a retrospective observational study carried out from the 1st of January 2008 to the 31st of December 2015 in the Burn Unit of the Douala General Hospital. An adapted questionnaire was used to collect demographic data, burn agents, burn depth; diagnostic delay, burn surface area, complications, comorbidity, mortality and its causes. Data was transferred to Microsoft Excel 2015 and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for data analysis. Results During this 8 year period, 440 patients were studied and the mortality rate was 23.4% (103 patients). The fatal burn agents were, flames (n = 69, 67.0%), electricity (n = 15, 14.6%), water (n = 12, 11.6%), contact (n = 4, 3.9%), Oil (n = 2, 1.9%) and chemicals (n = 1, 1.0%). The causes of death were shock (n = 36, 35.0%), sepsis (n = 25, 24.3%), acute respiratory distress (n = 25, 24.3%), acute renal failure (n = 6, 5.8%), severe anaemia (n = 4, 3.9%) and unrecorded causes (n = 7, 6.7%). Conclusion A quarter of all patients died mostly from flame burns and to a lesser extent, electricity and scalds. Increase in burn depth and burn surface area worsened the prognosis. Shock (the commonest cause of death), sepsis, acute respiratory distress, acute renal failure and wound infection were significantly associated with mortality.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-020-09372-3BurnsCausesMortalityCameroon |
| spellingShingle | Ndung Ako Forbinake Claude Stephan Ohandza Karl Njuwa Fai Valirie Ndip Agbor Betrand Kealebong Asonglefac Desmond Aroke Gerard Beyiha Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience BMC Public Health Burns Causes Mortality Cameroon |
| title | Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience |
| title_full | Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience |
| title_fullStr | Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience |
| title_short | Mortality analysis of burns in a developing country: a CAMEROONIAN experience |
| title_sort | mortality analysis of burns in a developing country a cameroonian experience |
| topic | Burns Causes Mortality Cameroon |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-020-09372-3 |
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