Abstract

Sociodemographic/clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to the National Burn Center of Chile Background: Approximately 150 subjects per year suffer severe burns in Chile. Aim: To analyze sociodemographic/clinical features and outcomes of severely burned patients. Material and Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 936 patients aged 47 +/- 20 years (66% males), admitted to the National Burn Center of Chile between 2006 and 2010. Sociodemographic/clinical and burn variables and outcomes were studied. Results: Mean total percentage of body surface area burned was 27 +/- 20%. A quarter of the patients had social features that could jeopardize rehabilitation. Fire was the burning agent in 73%, which along with electricity presented greater lethality (p < 0.01). Inhalation injury was diagnosed in 22% of the patients. Twenty eight percent of patients had impaired consciousness at the moment of the accident, leading to larger burns, higher incidence of inhalation injury and greater lethality. Lethality for severe, critical and exceptional survival groups was 8.4, 37.7 and 70.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Severely burned patients in Chile are mainly males at working age. Fire is the main agent and 28% had impaired consciousness, which was associated with an increase in the severity of burns. Knowledge of the characteristics and outcomes of the patients is important to implement prevention and treatment strategies adjusted to the national reality. (Rev Med Chile 2013; 141: 181-186).