A Six-Year Study on Epidemiology of Electrical Burns in Northern Iran: Is It Time to Pay Attention?

BACKGROUND: Although electrical burns are less prevalent than other types, they put socioeconomic burden on communities, yielding higher mortalities. Therefore, the frequency and causes of electrical burns in the largest burn center in northern Iran were studied. METHODS: All patients with electrical burn injuries admitted to Velayat Hospital, Rasht, Iran participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. The data collection tool was a checklist including demographic data, damage mechanism, voltage classification (high or low), injured organ, ICU need, length of stay (LOC), electrical burn severity (degree and area of burns based on TBSA), surgical interventions, and return to work. All data were gathered through HIS system and analyzed. RESULTS: Most electrical burns occurred in men (99.4%) and most of whom had electricity-related jobs (26%). The majority of victims had third-degree burns (63%), and electrical current-induced burns in entry points occurred in the upper and lower extremities, head and other organs ranked the first to fourth, respectively. Most burns happened due to abrupt contact with electrical current (83.33%) in routine home activities (52.78%). The mean LOC was 8.73 days, suggesting that LOC increased significantly, if the electrical current entered the body through lower extremities, while it decreased significantly, if the electrical current exited through lower extremities. CONCLUSION: The majority of electrical burn victims were men. Most burns occurred in urban communities in summer. Most people were affected by high voltage electricity.