Burn Injuries in Enugu, Nigeria - Aetiology and Prevention. A Six-year Retrospective Review (January 2000 - December 2005).

Background.Burn injuries frequently occur in our homes and workplaces and during travels. They are a common presentation at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria, which is a regional centre for burns care and for plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and trauma patients. Most burn injuries are preventable, and campaigns to arouse greater awareness are necessary to reduce the number of occurrences. Objectives.The objectives of this study are to highlight the causes of burn injuries and to characterize age and sex incidences, as also the severity of burn injuries. It is hoped that formidable preventive measures will be suggested to aid public enlightenment campaigns in fighting the scourge of burn injuries. Materials and method. A retrospective review of patient's folders from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2005 showed that 414 cases of burn-injured patients were treated at the emergency unit of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu. Results. Flame burns accounted for 48.3% of burn injuries followed by scalds with 40.6%; chemical burns accounted for 6.3%, while electrical and friction burns accounted for 4.6% and 1.0% respectively. Males made up 60.4% of the cases and females 39.6% (ratio, 1.5:1). The age group most commonly affected was that of children aged between 0 and 10 yr, accounting for 37.2% of cases, followed by the 21-30 yr age group with 22.7%. Altogether, 95.0% of the patients were aged less than 50 yr. With regard to flame burns, 51.5% were due to petrol flames (premium motor spirit), while 33.0% were due to kerosene. Cooking gas explosions accounted for 7.5% of the cases and diesel (automotive gas oil) 1.0%. Of the scalds, hot water accounted for 89.3% and hot oil 7.7%. As to chemical burns, 84.6% were due to acids, with alkalis, corrosive creams, and others making up the rest. With regard to electrical injury, current passage accounted for 63.2% of cases and flash burns for 36.8%.