title: Clinical outcome of patients with self-inflicted burns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with self-inflicted burns (SIB) are thought to have a longer length of stay compared to patients with accidental burns. However, other predictors for a longer length of stay are often not taken into account, e.g. percentage of the body surface area burned, age or comorbidities. Therefore, we wanted to study the outcome of patients with SIB at our burn center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, observational study was conducted. All adult patients with acute burns admitted to the burn center of the Martini Hospital Groningen, between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013 were included. Data on characteristics of the patient, injury, and outcome (LOS, mortality, discharge destination) were collected. In patients with SIB, suicide attempts (SA) were distinguished from self-harm without the intention to die (non-suicidal self-injury, NSSI). To evaluate differences in outcome, each patient with SIB was matched on variables and total score of the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) to a patient with accidental burns (AB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 29 admissions (21 SA and 8 NSSI) were due to SIB and 528 due to accidents. Overall, when compared to AB, there were significant differences with respect to mortality and LOS for SA and/or NSSI. Mortality was higher in the SA group, while the LOS was higher in both the SA and NSSI groups compared to the AB group. However, after matching on ABSI, no statistical significant differences between the SA and SA-match or the NSSI and NSSI-match group were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the right and timely treatment, differences in mortality rate or length of stay in hospital could all be explained by the severity of the burn and the intention of the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Martini Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands; Burn Centre Martini Hospital, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cornet
authors.affiliation: Association of Dutch Burn Centres, Martini Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands; Van Swieten Research Institute, Martini Hospital, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.niemeijer@mzh.nl.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Niemeijer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Martini Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands; Burn Centre Martini Hospital, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Figaroa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Martini Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands; Burn Centre Martini Hospital, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Daalen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Martini Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Broersma
authors.affiliation: Association of Dutch Burn Centres, Maasstad Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 9100, 3007 AC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van Baar
authors.affiliation: Burn Centre Martini Hospital, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G I J M
authors.initials: GIJM
authors.lastname: Beerthuizen
authors.affiliation: Burn Centre Martini Hospital, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands; Association of Dutch Burn Centres, Martini Hospital, Burn Centre, P.O. Box 30.033, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuis
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: Burns; Non-suicidal self-injury; Self-immolation; Self-inflicted burn; Suicide