Pakistani experience of childhood burns in a private setup

Burns are the second leading cause of death in children. This study investigates the distribution and pattern of childhood burn injuries in a private setup. The study was conducted in Rawalpindi, Pakistan from January 2006 to December 2008. Only paediatric patients ≤ 12 years of age were included in the study. All paediatric burn patients (in- as well as out-patients) were included. A total of 44 patients were included (male-to-female ratio, 1.3 to 1) with 2.3% patients aged 1-3 years, 13.6% aged 4 6, 38.6% aged 7-9, and 45.5% aged 10-12. The mean age was 9.16 yr in males and 8.37 yr in females. Scald burns were the commonest kind of burn (43.2%), followed by flame burns (18.2%). In 6.8% of the patients, the burns were superficial, in 20.5% they were deep, and in 72.7% they were mixed. The majority of the patients had involvement of the hand with or without the forearm (47.7%). The mean hospital stay was 17.5 days. There was one mortality during the study period.