South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Observational Study
Burn injuries in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa: Quantifying the healthcare burden.
Most burn injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and affect those of lower socioeconomic status disproportionally. A multifaceted approach is needed to improve burn outcomes. Healthcare strategies and reform should be data driven, but South Africa (SA) currently lacks sufficient baseline data related to burn injuries. The absence of local data is compounded by a global lack of published data from LMIC settings. The Pietermaritzburg Burn Service Registry (PBSR) is the only established registry for burn injuries in SA. ⋯ There is a significant, unquantified burden of burn injury in KZN, highlighting the urgent need for development of specialised surgical services for burns. Collection of more robust national data to verify our projections is required to confirm the need and guide required healthcare reform.
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Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital is the only hospital in the Free State Province with a burns unit. We do not have official data to assess our performance in the management of burns. ⋯ The epidemiology of burn patients and working conditions at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital are similar to other burn units in the country; however, our mortality rate is higher than at most centres. The LA50 is low, but in keeping with the rest of Africa, and our predictors of mortality are in keeping with those found in other studies in other parts of the world.