
This is in contrast to the usual injury pattern, where rates of injury for the various injury mechanisms tend to be higher in males than females. Who is at risk? Genderįemales have slightly higher rates of death from burns compared to males according to the most recent data. Indirect costs such as lost wages, prolonged care for deformities and emotional trauma, and commitment of family resources, also contribute to the socioeconomic impact. In South Africa an estimated US$ 26 million is spent annually for care of burns from kerosene (paraffin) cookstove incidents. In Norway, costs for hospital burn management in 2007 exceeded €10.5 million.

In 2004, nearly 11 million people worldwide were burned severely enough to require medical attention.Burns are among the leading causes of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in low- and middle-income countries.Non-fatal burns are a leading cause of morbidity, including prolonged hospitalization, disfigurement and disability, often with resulting stigma and rejection. In many high-income countries, burn death rates have been decreasing, and the rate of child deaths from burns is currently over 7 times higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. The majority of these occur in low- and middle-income countries and almost two thirds occur in the WHO African and South-East Asia regions.
INFECTED BURN SKIN
Thermal (heat) burns occur when some or all of the cells in the skin or other tissues are destroyed by:īurns are a global public health problem, accounting for an estimated 180 000 deaths annually. A burn is an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals.
