Epidemiology of burn injuries in geriatric patients in the Prague Burn Centre during the period 2005-2008
Abstract
291 seniors were hospitalized in Prague Burn Centre from 2005 to 2008, the female to male ratio was 1:0.77. The average age of admitted seniors increased from the 70 to 75 years without the rising of mortality.
The etiology of burns, their localizations and depth, TBSA distribution, the occurrence of associated diseases, the average of hospital stay were without significant variation during period 2005 - 2008. We can observe the significant rising in use of radical surgery methods (p > 0.10), necrectomy and autotransplantation in comparison with the conservative methods.
This fact is in correlation with mild run of burns IIIrd degree. The most common mechanism of burn injuries in seniors are the scorchs and scalds, relatively frequent are the other causes are the non-thermal (the trophic defects, skin tumors or general skin bullate affection such as exfoliative epidermolysis).
The most common injuries are up to 5 % of the body surface area (TBSA). However the injuries above 15 % of TBSA repre