Burn characteristics, management strategies, and mortality trends of patients admitted in the intensive care unit: a six-year retrospective analysis

Burn injuries are a significant global health burden, with critically ill patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The present study aimed to investigate burn characteristics, management strategies, and mortality trends of burn patients admitted to the ICU at a tertiary care center.

A six-year retrospective analysis was conducted on patients admitted to the burn ICU between 2016 and 2021. Data on demographics, burn characteristics, management, and mortality were collected from medical records. Descriptive statistics and survival analysis were employed to analyze trends over the six-year period.

A total of 312 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 38.0 ± 15.2 years. Flame burn was observed in 57.7% of the patients and 16% had scald burns. The average total body surface area (TBSA) was 27% ± 25%. The majority of admitted patients had at least one operative intervention (79%). The type of burn (p < 0.001), having a third-degree burn (p < 0.001), having one or more comorbid conditions (p = 0.03), TBSA (p < 0.001), and inhalation injury (p = 0.015) were found to be significantly associated with mortality.

The overall mortality rate was 9.9%. Most of the admitted cases were for flame burns followed by scald burns. The majority of admitted patients had at least one operative intervention. TBSA, inhalation injury, type of burn, having a third-degree burn, and having one or more comorbid conditions were found to be significantly associated with mortality.

Level III, Therapeutic; Risk/Prognostic; Diagnostic.