• Camerin A Rencken, Nikki Allorto, Abigail D Harrison, Stephen T McGarvey, and Adam R Aluisio.
• Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, United States. Electronic address: camerin_rencken@alumni.brown.edu.
• Burns. 2021 Feb 1; 47 (1): 240-248.

IntroductionIn South Africa, burns result in excessive morbidity which can be mitigated via follow-up treatments. This study evaluated factors associated with care retention for after burn injuries.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed for twelve months of care at the public burn facility in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. All inpatients were eligible, although those who were transferred or died during care were excluded. The primary outcome was return for initial appointment one-week after discharge. The population was analyzed descriptively, and multivariable logistic regression was employed to yield adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsFrom 354 patients 310 were analyzed. Of these, 177 (57.47%) were children (<12 years). One third (33.12%) of patients were non-adherent to follow-up (n = 102). In multivariable analysis, children ≤12 years of age were more likely to follow up (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.07-3.25, p = 0.028), as were those who underwent an operation (aOR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.47-4.91, p = 0.001). Residing ≥50 km from the health center was associated with lower likelihood of follow up (aOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29-0.93, p = 0.027).ConclusionHigh follow up attrition suggests the need for enhanced engagement in the high-risk burn population studied, and the identified factors could be leveraged in such programming.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

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