ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Burns are skin lesions caused by heat, with different agents that can compromise muscle tissue, tendons, bones and bring risks of loss of limbs, function or even death of the patient. These are problems that can result in clinical, physical and psychological damage. The objective is to evaluate the epidemiological profile of adult patients admitted to a burn treatment center in the Recôncavo da Bahia over 13 months.
Methods:
A retrospective descriptive study evaluated patients’ medical records admitted to the institution in question.
Results:
In the period in question, 102 adult patients were admitted, with a balance between the male and female sexes. When analyzing the reason for the burn, it can be seen that the majority had burns of an accidental nature. Scalding by hot liquids, including milk, coffee and oil at high temperatures, was the main agent, with 68 cases (66.7%). As for the depth of the injuries, 83 (81.4%) were victims of 2nd-degree burns, 17 (16.7%) of 3rd-degree and 2 (2%) with wound depth not specified in the records. Regarding the outcome, 96 (94.1%) were discharged from the hospital, 3 (2.9%) died, and 3 (2.9%) were transferred to another service.
Conclusion:
Burns are preventable, so epidemiological data are tools that contribute to the development of care and prevention aimed at this group. This study may serve to plan public health policies to care for and prevent burns.
Keywords:
Burns; Patients; Epidemiology; Accident Prevention; Public health policies