Some epidemiological characteristics of burn accidents and treatment outcomes at the National Burn Hospital (2021 - 2022)

Abstract

Burn accidents are a global health problem, causing serious consequences that often lead to significant morbidity, reduced health and quality of life, and a socio-economic burden for victims, families and society. This study assessed recent trends in some epidemiological factors of burns and treatment outcomes of burn victims. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 6,402 inpatients treated at the National Burn Hospital from January 01, 2021 to October 31, 2022. Results: Burn accidents are common in adults (56.7%), and children (32.38%), with men being more affected than women (59.4% and 40.6% respectively). Children under 6 years old are nearly three times more likely to be affected than children over 6 years old (73.3% and 26.7%). Patients in rural areas (56.6%) are more common than those from urban areas (43.4%), and only 63.2% have health insurance. The main agent of burns is thermal (87.6%), with dry heat burns (39.5%) and electrical burns (5.2%) showing an increasing trend. The burn-related death rate ranged from 1.3% to 2.3%. The average treatment cost per patient is approximately 27.2 million to 33.3 million VND, and the average treatment time had decreased from 23.3 days to 19.1 days. Conclusion: Burn accidents can occur at any age, with thermal burns accounting for a high proportion, electrical burns showing an increasing trend. Treatment outcomes are generally highly effective, with decreasing mortality rates.