Experience of burn injuries at the pakistan institute of medical science, islamabad, pakistan*.

The objective of this prospective study was to consider the demographical data of burn patients admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Pakistan. The study was carried out at PIMS from January 2002 to December 2003. Only admitted patients of either sex of age more than 12 yr were included. Patients below 12 yr were excluded. Patients requiring outpatient treatment were also excluded. A total number of 77 males and 65 females fulfilled the criteria. The mean age of the males was 32.2 yr and of the females 24.4 yr, while the male/female ratio was 1/1.18. Burns were commonest during the winter season (42.2%). In 6% of the patients, the burns were due to suicide attempts and in 15% to homicidal intent. The burns were accidental in 79% of cases. The major mechanism in females was stove burst (22%) and in males direct flame (18%). The kitchen was the commonest site of the accident in females (27%). Housewives were the most frequently affected (35%). More married males (39%) were burned than unmarried females (18%). Inhalational injury was present in 23% of the patients. Males had average total body surface area burned of 27.4% compared with 39.5% in females. Eighteen per cent of the deaths occurred among males and 16% among females. This study provides a comprehensive overview of hospitalized burn patients in Pakistan. Prevention is always the rule to be safe from burns but, once they occur, immediate and proper care should be given with aggressive treatment in order to minimize post-burn problems.