title: Epidemiology of burns undergoing hospitalization to the National Burns Unit in the Sultanate of Oman: a 25-year review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of burns admitted to the National Burns Unit (NBU) in the Sultanate of Oman between 1987 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective review of burn patients admitted to Oman's National Burns Unit (NBU) between 1987 and 2011. The data extracted from the national burn registry. The study describes the admission rate by gender and age groups, occupation, causes of burns, time-to-admission, length of stay and in-hospital mortality of burns between 1987 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a 25-year from 1987 to 2011, there were 3531 burn patients admitted to the National Burns Unit in Oman. The average admission rate to NBU is 7.02 per 100,000 persons per year. On average, males were more likely to be admitted to the NBU than females during the study period (P value < 0.04). Patients aged 1-10 years old constituted 46.6% of caseload during the study period. Flames and scalds caused 88.4% of burns. About half of all patients admitted to the NBU have burns to more than 11% of total body surface area (TBSA). The average stay in hospital was estimated to be 15.3 days per patient. The average in-hospital mortality rate was estimated to be 8.2% per year (range 1.9-22%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Burns are significant public health issue in the Sultanate of Oman. Children are disproportionately over-represented in this study. Prevention programmes are urgently needed to address this "silent and costly epidemic."
authors.affiliation: Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand. Electronic address: sultan.al-shaqsi@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Shaqsi
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Kashmiri
authors.forename: Taimoor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Al-Bulushi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009850:Oman / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Admission rate; Burns; Epidemiology; Mortality; National Burns Unit; Sultanate of Oman