Long-term trends in mortality according to age among adult burn patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in mortality among adult burn patients over a 25-year period according to age. All patients admitted to a regional burn center between 1973 and 1997 were divided into three age groups (18-34, 35-54, and 55 and older), and mortality rates were compared over time. Between 1973 and 1997, the proportion of patients in each age group remained consistent, as did the type of burns. The average total body surface area burned declined steadily from 31.6% in the 1970s to 18.2% in the late 1990s. The absolute change in mortality was small (7.7%), moderate (16.3%), and large (30.2%) in the young, middle-aged, and old, respectively. However, the relative change demonstrated the opposite pattern. The results of this study suggest that declines in mortality among adult burn patients have occurred across the age spectrum over the past 25 years.

[1]  J P Bull,et al.  Revised estimates of mortality from burns in the last 20 years at the Birmingham Burns Centre. , 2001, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[2]  L. Wibbenmeyer,et al.  Predicting survival in an elderly burn patient population. , 2001, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[3]  M. rule,et al.  Determinants of death following burn injury , 2001, The British journal of surgery.

[4]  C. Ryan,et al.  Objective estimates of the probability of death from burn injuries. , 1998, The New England journal of medicine.

[5]  C. Goodwin,et al.  Burn Wound Infections: Current Status , 1998, World Journal of Surgery.

[6]  J. K. Rose,et al.  Mortality determinants in massive pediatric burns. An analysis of 103 children with > or = 80% TBSA burns (> or = 70% full-thickness). , 1997, Annals of surgery.

[7]  D. Heimbach,et al.  Prognosis and treatment of burns. , 1996, The Western journal of medicine.

[8]  S. Forjuoh,et al.  Case-fatality rates by body part affected and trends in hospitalized burns in Maryland, 1981-90. , 1993, Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries.

[9]  M. Kara,et al.  An early surgical approach to burns in the elderly. , 1990, The Journal of trauma.

[10]  N. Agarwal,et al.  Physiologic profile monitoring in burned patients. , 1983, The Journal of trauma.

[11]  R. G. Cornell,et al.  Improvements in burn care, 1965 to 1979. , 1980, JAMA.

[12]  H. Matsumura,et al.  Aggressive wound closure for elderly patients with burns. , 1994, The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation.

[13]  A. Sugamata,et al.  A new surgical procedure for aged burn victims: applications of dermolipectomy for burn wounds and donor sites. , 1990, The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation.