The Epidemiological and Clinical Profile of Household Burns

A 12-Year Analysis in a National Burn Referral Center

Abstract

Introduction:
Burn injuries represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Those occurring in the home are particularly relevant due to their frequency and severity. Young children and older adults face higher risks due to physical limitations, lack of supervision, or environmental conditions. Understanding the clinical and demographic characteristics of these injuries enables the development of strategies focused on prevention, early intervention, and more efficient allocation of hospital resources.

Objective:
To describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and hospital outcome profiles of patients who sustained burn injuries at home and were treated at the National Center for Research and Care of Burn Patients (CENIAQ) between 2011 and 2023.

Methodology:
This was an observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study based on electronic medical records of 2,121 patients admitted with burn injuries from 2011 to 2023. Only cases where the incident occurred exclusively at home were included. Variables analyzed included age, sex, educational level, occupation, type and degree of burn, total body surface area burned (TBSA), location of the incident within the home (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, others), presence of airway burns, days of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, number of amputations, discharge outcome (recovery, death, transfer), and prognostic scores (ABSI and rBAUX). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare age groups and explore factors associated with prolonged hospital stay (>21 days) and mortality.

Results:
A total of 52.33% (n=1,110) of burn incidents occurred at home, with the most affected group being those aged 19–40 years (30.90%, n=343), followed by those aged 41–60 years (22.61%, n=251). Flame burns were the most common mechanism (42.43%, n=471), followed by scald injuries (41.62%, n=462). The most frequent household locations for accidents were the kitchen (30%, n=333) and bedroom (16.21%, n=180). Full-thickness burns were present in 37.56% (n=417), airway burns in 6.21% (n=69), and the mean TBSA was 20.07%. ICU admission was required in 32.61% of cases (n=362). The average hospital stay was 21.12 days; 3.6% (n=40) underwent amputation, and overall mortality was 6.57% (n=73). Multivariate analysis showed that TBSA >20%, presence of airway burns, and advanced age were significantly associated with longer hospital stay and higher mortality.

Conclusions:
Home-related burn injuries constitute a serious public health issue in Mexico, particularly at the extremes of age. Domestic environmental conditions, along with factors such as age and education level, influence injury severity. This study identifies critical intervention points, guiding preventive policies and comprehensive care protocols.