Proceedings of The International Conference on Innovation in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering
Year: 2018 | Page No:25-36
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/icibbe.2018.12.14
MORTALITY ANALYSIS OF BURNS IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY: THE CAMEROONIAN EXPERIENCE
Ndung Ako Forbinake, Dongmo Gael, Ohandza Claude, Chichom-Mefire Alain, Fokam Pius, Beyiha Gerard and Ngowe Ngowe Marcelin.
ABSTRACT:
Background: Burns are the leading causes of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in low- and middleincome countries. The survival outcome in the Douala General Hospital was lower than the survival outcome predictions in high income countries.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, mortality and its causes. Data was transferred to Microsoft Excel 2015 and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for data analysis.Results: During this 8 year period, 453 patients were studied and most (n=339, 74.8%) patients were admitted. Mortality was high (n=104, 23.0%). Amongst those who died, the burn agents responsible were, flames (n=69, 66.3%), electricity (n=15, 14.4%), water (n=12, 11.5%), contact (n=5, 4.8%), Oil (n=2, 1.9%) and chemicals (n=1, 1.1%). The causes of death were shock (n=36, 34.0%), sepsis (n=25, 24.0%), acute respiratory distress (n=25, 24.0%), acute renal failure (n=6, 6%), severe anaemia (n=4, 4.0%) and unrecorded causes (n= 8, 8%).
Conclusion: A quarter of all patients died mostly from flame, electricity and water burns. 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 to mortality.
Keywords: Burns, Causes, Agents, Mortality.