Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Mortality and morbidity among elderly people with burns—Evaluation of data on admission

2008; Elsevier BV; Volume: 34; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.burns.2007.12.004

1879-1409

David B. Lumenta, A. Hautier, C. Desouches, J. Gouvernet, Roch Giorgi, J.C. Manelli, G. Magalon,

Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation

People aged >or=65 years represent a growing population within burns units in the Western world. In 2001, this group was reported to rise to 20% of such admissions. We reviewed the records of 265 burn cases with complete admission and discharge histories, from January 1990 to December 2003 in an A-level regional burns centre. The predictive value of age, gender, total body surface area burned (TBSA), inhalation trauma (IT), premorbid conditions and currently used burn scores (Baux, ABSI, Ryan) for haemodynamic or respiratory complications, mortality and morbidity were analysed. Additionally a subset of patients with diabetes mellitus and >30% total body surface area burned were reviewed. About 16% of all admissions with burns were >or=65 years of age, with a mortality rate of 30.6% (81/265). Only gender and premorbid conditions did not influence mortality. Haemodynamic and respiratory complications were significantly related to TBSA, presence of I and any of the three scores (all p or=65 years a good outcome as evaluated on discharge can be achieved. Studies pooling different centres' results are needed to improve the significance of conclusions drawn from these data.