Epidemiology of Chemical Burn Injuries in a Tertiary Burn Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objective: Chemical burns can cause serious skin damage, affecting human organs and leading to aesthetic and functional problems. Most patients need costly therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of chemical burns among patients admitted to the largest burn center in Iran. Methods: A cross- sectional retrospective study was conducted on patients with chemical burns from March ۲۰۲۲ to June ۲۰۲۳ at Motahari Burn Hospital. Demographic data, burn characteristics, therapeutic interventions, and hospital courses of all patients with burns due to acid, alkaline, and caustic materials were collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version ۲۲.۰) and t-test and one-way analysis of variance.  The significance level was P ˂ ۰.۰۵ Results: The prevalence of chemical burns was %۵.۱ of all admitted burn patients during one year, which is higher than the global average. The mean age of the patients was ۳۲.۱۸ ± ۱۹.۱۲ years, and most of the patients were male (۶۹.۴%). Most injuries were due to accidental events (۸۶.۷%), and ۶۲.۲% of chemical burns occurred at home. The most common chemical substance was acid (۶۰.۲%). Over ۸۷% of victims had less than ۲۰% total body surface area (TBSA) involvement. Limbs were injured in ۹۱.۸% of cases. The mortality rate was ۳.۱%. The difference in mean hospital stay duration between accidental and intentional burns was significant (P = ۰.۰۲۰). A significant difference was also found in mean TBSA% across causative agent groups (P = ۰.۰۴۸). Conclusion: In our study, chemical burns were a small proportion of burn injuries, most of which occurred at home. The incidence of acid violence has not reduced compared to previous studies at our center. The majority of these injuries are preventable.

کلیدواژه ها:

Chemical burns ، Epidemiology ، Injuries