Characteristics of Patients Admitted to the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit: A Tertiary Center Experience in Bahrain

Plastic surgery is the most diverse specialty. It deals with a wide spectrum of abnormalities in different genders, age groups and body parts. Data on clinical characteristics of patients admitted in the burn and plastic surgery unit have been reported from our center last in 1993.

This retrospective cross-sectional study conducted during 1-year from 2017 to 2018 in the burn and plastic surgery unit, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain. Seven hundred seventy-four patients (929 admissions) were enrolled. Indications of admissions, demographic data including gender, nationality and age were gathered. Different types of burns were categorized.

Out of 16,492 surgical admissions, 929 (5.6%) admissions were for burn and plastic surgery. Nine hundred-twelve (98.2%) admissions for 766 patients were included. Burn injuries were the main indication with a total of 345 (37.8%) admissions for 337 (44%) patients. Three hundred eighty-eight (50.7%) patients were males. Five hundred fifty-eight (72.8%) patients were nationals. Most were in the age group of 30-39 years old (24.9%). On comparison, burn injuries were more in males (n=241, 71.5%), nationals (n=175, 51.9%), younger in age (mean age, 23.8±19.6 years) and in pediatric age group (n=122, 36.2%) specifically, (All P<0.0001). Scalded burn was the commonest type (n=184/317, 58%).

Burn and plastic surgery is a significant part of surgical admissions. Burn injuries were the most frequent reason of admissions. Patients with burn injuries were mainly males, nationals and children. Scalded burn was the most frequent type in our center.