Epidemiological characteristics, burn injury patterns, complications, and timing of death in older burn patients: A retrospective study of fatal cases at Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital, 2021 - 2025
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics, burn injury patterns, complications, and timing of death among burn patients aged ≥ 60 years, and to compare these characteristics with those of patients aged < 60 years.
Subjects and methods: A retrospective observational, descriptive and analytical study was conducted on 77 patients aged ≥ 60 years among 348 burn-related deaths treated at Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital from 2021 to 2025.
Results: Patients aged ≥ 60 years accounted for 22.13% of the study population. Compared with patients aged < 60 years, older patients had a higher proportion of females (45.45% vs. 22.14%; p < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of chronic comorbidities (35.06% vs. 4.80%; p < 0.001). The median total burn surface area and deep burn area in the older group were 35% and 24% TBSA, respectively, significantly lower than those in patients aged < 60 years (70% and 44% TBSA, respectively; p < 0.001). Inhalation injury was present in 31.17% of older patients. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and septic shock were recorded in 49.35% and 45.45%, respectively. Outcomes occurring after day 7 accounted for 55.84% of cases. Deep burn extent and surgery during the first week were associated with the timing of outcome.
Conclusion: Fatal burn cases among older patients were characterized by a higher prevalence of comorbidities but less extensive burn injuries than those among patients aged < 60 years. More than half of the outcomes occurred after day 7. The association between first-week surgery and outcome timing should be interpreted cautiously and does not imply a causal relationship.
Keywords
Older burn patients, burn mortality, deep burns, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Article Details
References
2. Greenhalgh D. G. (2019) Management of burns. New England Journal of Medicine. 380 (24): 2349-2359.
3. Jeschke M. G., van Baar M. E., Choudhry M. A. et al. (2020) Burn injury. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 6 (1): 11.
4. Brusselaers N., Monstrey S., Vogelaers D. et al. (2010) Severe burn injury in Europe: a systematic review of the incidence, etiology, morbidity, and mortality. Critical Care. 14 (5): R188.
5. Lam N. N., Duc N. M. and Son N. N. (2019) Outcome and risk factors for death of elderly burn patients: a case series in Vietnam. Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters. 32 (2): 87-93.
6. Chen J., Yan H., Luo G. et al. (2013) Characteristics of burn deaths from 2003 to 2009 in a burn center: a retrospective study. Burns & Trauma. 1 (2): 80-86.
7. Church D., Elsayed S., Reid O. et al. (2006) Burn wound infections. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 19 (2): 403-434.
8. Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, et al. (2016)The third international consensus definitions for sepsis and septic shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 315(8):801-810.
9. Ngô Tuấn Hưng, Nguyễn Như Lâm, Nguyễn Hải An và cộng sự. (2024). Đặc điểm rối loạn chức năng tạng ở người bệnh bỏng nặng có sốc nhiễm khuẩn. Tạp chí Y Dược học Quân sự, 49(8), 210-221.
10. Force ADT, Ranieri VM, Rubenfeld GD, et al. (2012) Acute respiratory distress syndrome: the Berlin Definition. JAMA. 307:2526-33.
11. Bộ Y tế (2012) Hướng dẫn chẩn đoán và điều trị bệnh hô hấp
12. Học viện Quân y (2018), Bỏng - Giáo trình dành cho đào tạo trình độ đại học, Nhà xuất bản Quân đội Nhân dân.
13. Shin S. D., Suh G. J., Sung J. et al. (2004) Epidemiologic characteristics of death by burn injury from 1991 to 2001 in Korea. Burns. 30 (8): 820-828.
14. Navarrete N., Rodriguez N. (2016) Epidemiologic characteristics of death by burn injury from 2000 to 2009 in Colombia, South America: a population-based study. Burns & Trauma. 4: 8.