Clinical outcome analysis of male and female genital burn injuries: a 15-year experience at a level-1 burn center.
OBJECTIVE
The American Burn Association classifies a burn to the genitalia as a major injury. Isolated burns to the penis, scrotum or vulva are rare as a result of protection provided by the thighs and abdomen. Thus, burned genitalia represent an ominous sign of a more extensive total body surface area burn.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients admitted to a Level-1 Burn Unit with a burn involving the genitalia from January 1995 to December 2009 comprised the study population.


RESULTS
A total of 393 patients of 5878 patients (6.7%) admitted to the Burn Unit suffered a burn involving the genitalia, including 253 males (64.4%) and 140 females (35.6%). The median total body surface area was 12% (range 1-100%), the most common cause of genital burn was scald (n = 246, 62.9%) and median length of stay was 9 days (range 1-472 days). A total of 269 patients (68.4%) were discharged to home from the hospital, and in-hospital mortality was 20.9%.


CONCLUSIONS
The typical profile for those sustaining a genital burn include younger patients (≤30 years-of-age), sustaining a median total body surface area burn of 12% from a scald injury, with extensive genitalia involvement. Length of stay for genital burns is usually extended and, as a result of concomitant injuries, is associated with a 20% in-hospital death rate.
Department of Surgery, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey 07039, USA.
Nicole J
NJ
Abel
Zachary
Z
Klaassen
E Hani
EH
Mansour
Michael A
MA
Marano
Sylvia J
SJ
Petrone
Abraham P
AP
Houng
Ronald S
RS
Chamberlain
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002053:Burn Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002056:Burns / Q000401:mortality* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005835:Genitalia / Q000293:injuries*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D055815:Young Adult