Self-inflicted burn injuries: an 11-year retrospective study.
The burns unit at the Royal Brisbane Hospital accepted a total of 2275 admissions from 1986 to 1996. During this 11-year period, 65 cases of self-inflicted burn injury were treated, which made up 2.9% of the total number of admissions. A mortality rate of 21.5% (14 patients) is noted, with all patients dying after admission to the hospital. A common feature of people that self-inflict burn injuries is a psychiatric history, with many patients having histories of self-harm or suicide attempts. Two distinct groups were identified--those with suicidal intent and those with intent of self-harm. Those patients with self-inflicted injuries have an increased mean of 31.4% total body surface area burned as compared with those patients whose injuries are accounted for as accidental, which have a mean total body surface area burned of 10%. Additionally, the mean length of stay in the hospital for patients with self-inflicted injuries was 40 days for acute injuries, which is prolonged; the mean length of stay for acute injuries that were not self-inflicted was 14 days. This investigation discovered 3 cases of repeated self-inflicted burn injury.
Wallace
K L
KL
Burns Unit, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Australia.
Pegg
S P
SP
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate