Abstract
To analyze the incidence, characteristics, behavior and mortality rate of patients with self-injury by burns admitted to the Burns Centre of Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil. The study population consisted of burned patients consecutively admitted to the Burns Unit of Hospital Regional da Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil, during the period from February 2008 to February 2009. Data were obtained on admission and were prospectively recorded during hospitalization. Patients were followed until discharge or death. During the study period, 15 cases were admitted due to self-injury burns in the Unit. The mean age was 38.0 ± 20.6 years, 66.7% of cases of self-injury burning were women. In most cases they were married, home providers and poor. The biggest reason was marital conflict. The mortality rate was 40%. The average burned body surface was 38.7 ± 26.1%. Alcohol was used by 66.7% of patients to cause the burns. The average duration of treatment was 20.1 ± 14.8 days. Self-injury burned patients had more extensive lesions, remained in hospital for longer periods and had worse prognosis. Patients with self-inflicted burns had a mean higher age, higher burned body surface, longer hospitalization, more infectious complications and higher mortality rate than patients with accidental burns. These patients need constant psychiatric support, which can be helpful in preventing future episodes of self-harm.
Highlights
Self-inflicted burns may mean an attempt to selftermination or be part of an ongoing process of selfimmolation
Self-injury burns are infrequent, but they are a regular cause of hospitalization in burn units
Variables that were taken for analysis during hospitalization were age, gender, percentage of burned body surface, educational level, marital status, occupation, cause of burns, infections, circumstances surrounding the cause of burn, previous psychiatric history, surgical interventions, hospitalization and outcome
Summary
Self-inflicted burns may mean an attempt to selftermination or be part of an ongoing process of selfimmolation. There are different methods of self-harm, according to geographic region, gender and social factors[1]. In Asia (Iran, India and Iraq), the incidence of self-produced burn injuries is high, with previous reports indicating 9 to 32% of total admissions for burns. This represents a huge problem, as they are usually extensive and deep burns, and patients often have a history of psychiatric illness and difficulties in family relationship 1-4. The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence, characteristics, behavior and mortality rate of patients with self-harm burns of a burn treatment regional center in Brazil
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