BACKGROUND Burn injury is a serious preventable health problem. Unlike developed countries, in India, most burns occur in the domestic environment. The mortality is high. The social, psychological (disfigurement) and physical trauma in those who survive is high and the quality of life is greatly reduced. The present study was undertaken to study the epidemiology and the outcome of patients admitted with burn injury in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was done to assess the profile and the proportion of percentage of burns with morbidity and mortality in a tertiary care hospital of north Kerala in the year 2007. RESULTS The commonest cause of burns were found to be accidental accounting for 73%. Among the study subjects, 45% survived while 49% died and 6% were discharged against medical advice. The mortality was high in patients with more than 60% of body surface area affected by burns. The mortality increased with percentage of burns even in a tertiary care center. The mortality also increased with increase in age of the patient.
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