TY - JOUR PY - 2018// TI - Assessing burn care in Brazil: an epidemiologic, cross-sectional, nationwide study JO - Surgery A1 - Citron, Isabelle A1 - Amundson, Julia A1 - Saluja, Saurabh A1 - Guilloux, Aline A1 - Jenny, Hillary A1 - Scheffer, Mario A1 - Shrime, Mark A1 - Alonso, Nivaldo SP - 1165 EP - 1172 VL - 163 IS - 5 N2 - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the national epidemiology of burns in Brazil and evaluate regional access to care by defining the contribution of out-of-hospital mortality to total burn deaths.

METHODS: We reviewed admissions data for Brazil's single-payer, free-at-point-of-care, public-sector provider and national death registry data abstracted from DATASUS for 2008-2014. Admissions, in-hospital mortality, hospital reimbursement, and total deaths from the death registry were assessed for records coded under ICD-10 codes corresponding to flame, scald, contact, and electrical burns.

RESULTS: A total of 17,264 burn deaths occurred between 2008-2014 (mean annual 2,466 [SD 202]). Of all burns deaths 79.1% occurred out of hospital, with marked regional differences in the proportion of out-of-hospital deaths (P < 0.001), the greatest being in the North region. The mean annual number of admissions >24 hours was 18,551 (SD 1,504) with the greatest prevalence of flame burns overall (43.98%) and scalds prevailing in < 5 years (57.8%). Regional differences were found in per-capita admissions (P < 0.001) with the greatest number in the Central-West region. A mean of $1,022 (SD $94) US dollars was reimbursed per burn admission.

CONCLUSION: Given that nearly 80% of burns mortalities occurred out of hospital, prevention of burns alongside interventions improving prehospital and access to care have potential for the greatest impact.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0039-6060 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2017.11.023 ID - ref1 ER -