Mortality among infants admitted with burns in a tertiary burn care center

ABSTRACT Introduction: Burns remains one of the most frequent public health concerns associated with significant mortality and morbidity. This study aims to determine the epidemiological profile and mortality among infants admitted to a tertiary burns care center over the past 10 years. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to review infants admitted to a tertiary burns care center from January 2012 to December 2021. The epidemiological data were studied, including age, gender, cause, total body surface area burnt, depth, localization, cause of death, and length of hospital stay, among others. Results: A total of 335 burn infants were studied. The most common etiology of burn was scald burns (79.1%), followed by flame burns (10.7%). 209 (62.3%) of the patients were male and the remaining 126 patients (37.6%) were female, with a male: female ratio of 1.6:1. The duration of hospitalization stay was 8 days on an average. Most cases had combined depth burns (59.1%), followed by second-degree deep burns (14.3%). The most frequent areas burnt were on the trunk and upper limbs. The mortality rate was 17.9%, sepsis with multiorgan failure being the major causes. Conclusion: This study provides an overview of demographic features and mortality rates of infants admitted to a tertiary burns care center. Infants are at significant risk of burns, usually caused by hazards in home environment. Better parental and education prevention are important to decrease incidence of infant burns.