The Epidemiology of Burn and Lethal Area of Fifty Percentage (LA50) in Children in Shiraz, Southern Iran

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to assess the epidemiology of burn and lethal area of fifty percentage (LA50) in children in Shiraz, Southern Iran. METHODS: In this case series study, 619 hospitalized burn children from burn centers affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran from 2012 to 2016 were enrolled. Demographic characteristics of patients such as age, gender, place and cause of burn, and morality rate were evaluated. LA50 was measured using Probit analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 4.4±3.4 years. The mortality rate in burn patients was 8.7% and LA50 of total body surface area (TBSA%) ranged from 40.1% in 2012 to 68.3% in 2016. Although the number of male burn patients (65%) was more than females (35%), the mortality rate in females was more than males (11.4% vs. 7.2%). Scald and flame were the most common causes of burn. CONCLUSION: The findings in our burn center comparing burn patients to developed countries showed that LA50 and survival rate were lower denoting to an urgent necessity to promote current policies in burn care and prevention and to decrease the mortality rate too.