Cologne burn centre experience with assault burn injuries.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with assault burn injuries.


BACKGROUND
Assault by burning demonstrates a rare but severe public health issue and accounts for unique injury characteristics in the burn intensive care unit (BICU).


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving patients with thermal injuries admitted to the BICU of a university hospital. The patient cohort was divided into two groups (ABI group: patients with assault burns, n=41;


METHODS
population of all other burned patients admitted to the BICU, n=1202). Bivariate and multivariate analyses including demographic and socioeconomic data were used to identify factors associated with assault burns.


RESULTS
Forty-one assault-related burn victims were identified in the study period. This represents 3.3% of all significant burns admitted. Comparing battery victims with the control population, assault patients were more likely to be young (mean age 36.2 years vs. 42.2 years) and immigrants (41.5% vs. 15.1%). Furthermore, marital status (65.9% vs. 40.8% singles), employment status (36.6% vs. 9.7% unemployed) and insurance status (41.5% vs. 12.3% social insurance) were significantly different in the bivariate analysis. Logistic regression evaluation identified three variables that were independently associated with assault burns: younger age (< or =25 years) (odds ratio, 2.54 [95% confidence interval, 1.29-5.02]; p=0.007), ethnic minority (odds ratio, 3.71 [95% confidence interval, 1.91-7.20]; p<0.001) and unemployment (odds ratio, 4.02 [95% confidence interval, 2.03-7.97]; p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The high incidence of youngsters, unemployment and the great proportion of immigrants in victims of assault might provide several opportunities for community-based psychosocial and occupational programs. A multidisciplinary approach targeting issues specific to the violent nature of the injury and the socioeconomic background of the victims may be of benefit to improve their perspectives for rehabilitation.
Theodorou
P
P
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Merheim-Hospital University of Witten-Herdecke, 51109 Cologne, Germany. Panos_Theodorou@yahoo.de
Spanholtz
T A
TA
Amini
P
P
Maurer
C A
CA
Phan
T Q V
TQ
Perbix
W
W
Lefering
R
R
Spilker
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult