Burn Injuries in Epileptic Patients: Prevalence, Causes, and Outcomes - A Cross Sectional Study at Pak Italian Burn Center Nishter Hospital Multan

Objective: To evaluate the patterns of burn injuries, identifying the prevalence, causative factors and outcomes of burn injuries among patients of epilepsy admitted to the Pak-Italian Burn Center, Nishtar Hospital Multan. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pak-Italian Modern Burn Center, Nishtar Medical University and Hospital, Multan from January 2018 to June 2023. Patients with epilepsy and burn injuries caused directly by seizures, covering all age groups and both genders were included. Patients were received in the emergency department where the fluid resuscitation was done and every effort was made to eliminate shock and were admitted to the burn unit. On the stable condition all the patients or their care taker were interviewed to assess the causes of burn injuries. A structured proforma was used to collect data including demographic characteristics, causes of injuries and outcomes. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: Out of 3482 patients with burn injuries, 264 (7.5%) were epileptic. Average age of patients was 30.10±11.23 years. About 52.7% burn accidents occurred at homes, 28.4% at workplace and 18.9% at some outdoor locations. Based on causes flame burn was the most common with 48.5% followed by scald, electric burns and other miscellaneous causes with 42.4%, 4.9% and 4.2% incidence rate respectively. Post-burn contracture was the most common complications in 37.9% patients, followed by wound infections 19.3% cases, while 12.1% patients experienced loss of body parts. Overall mortality rate was 11.4%. Conclusion: Burn injuries among epileptic patients were observed 7.5%, with the most common causes being flame burns, scalds, and electrical burns and overall mortality rate of 11.4%.