Seasonal effects on the mechanisms of burn injuries

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate seasonal effects on the mechanisms of burn injuries in patients requiring hospitalization.

Material and Methods: A retrospective evaluation was made using the information of 419 hospitalized burns patients, including demographic data, degree and percentage of burn injury, cause and mechanism of burn injury, morbidity and mortality. Burn mechanisms were grouped as thermal burns (flame, boiling liquid, contact), chemical burns and electrical burns. When calculating the percentage of body surface area burned, the rule of nines was applied. Seasonal classification was made appropriate to the northern hemisphere.

Results: According to the seasons, the most burns were seen in spring months (n= 130, 31.0%). In the examination of the mechanism of burn injury, the most common type of injury was boiling liquid in 159 patients followed by flame injury in 146 patients. There was an increase in electrical and chemical burns in spring and summer. A statistically significant difference was determined between the types of burns according to the seasons (p= 0.024). The burn injury occurred as a result of a workplace accident in 82 cases, the majority of which were in autumn, and summer, and the difference in the seasons was determined to be statistically significant (p= 0.045). There was a statistically significant increase in the exposure of individuals aged >65 years to boiling liquid burns in winter and summer months (p= 0.014).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed a seasonal effect on the types of burn injuries. A higher rate of thermal burns was expected to be found in winter, but this was not the case in patients with indications for hospitalization, as chemical and electrical burns in workplace accidents were seen more frequently in warmer seasons of spring and summer. In this context, burns units should be prepared for patient profiles to vary according to the season.

Cite this article as: Çomçalı B, Ceylan C, Altun Özdemir B, Ocaklı S, Pehlevan Özel H, Yastı AÇ. Seasonal effects on the mechanisms of burn injuries. Turk J Surg 2022; 38 (1): 5-10.

The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee (Decision no: E-16-912, Date: 21.02.2019)

Externally peer-reviewed.

Concept - All of authors; Design - All of authors; Supervision - All of authors; Materials - All of authors; Data Collection and/or Processing - All of authors; Analysis and/or Interpretation - All of authors; Literature Search - All of authors; Writing Manuscript - All of authors; Critical Reviews - All of authors.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

The authors are not related to any support and financial participation (eg employment, consultancy, honorary, stock ownership and options, expert statement, patents received or pending, copyrights) in the past three years. They also declare that they are not involved in nonfinancial relationships (personal, political or professional) that may affect the writing of the article.