Muhammad Hamayun, Zawar Hussain, Dilawar Khan, Asad Ullah, Khalid Aziz.
Epidemiology of burn injuries - mortality and morbidity in Hazara Division NWFP.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;4(1):53-5.

Background: History of burn injuries is as old as human history, when Stone Age man learns about lighting of fire. Perhaps before that when forests were put on fire due to natural hazards like lightning and human being and animals use to die as a result of fire. Methodology: The present study is retrospective study of burn injuries. Conducted at Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad. The data was collected from Burns unit of Ayub Teaching Hospital Complex, Abbottabad. Total of 1822 patients were treated in this unit from 1999 (establishment of unit) till 2008. Study period extends over whole two years i.e. (2005 & 2006). The data includes all reported cases of burn those were admitted in the unit during the study periods from whole of Hazara Division. Results:A total No. of 468 patients were admitted during two years of different age groups with burn due to different medium. Out of these 188 were having scald burn due to hot liquid (water/mild/oil/trephines) percentage of scald burn was 40.17% 34 were due to electric burn percentage of electric burn was 7.26% 38 were due to burn as a result of gas cylinder explosion. There percentage was 8.1. kerosene Oil burn was 5%. While hot steam burns were 2.48% due to flame/dry heat, total No. of burns patients were 174 and there percentage was 37.11%. Body portion wise burn injuries were 1152. Upper limbs sustained maximum injures 219 (19.01%) followed by thigh 159 (13.8%) lover limbs 139 (12.06%) head, neck and face 139 (12.06%) lumber 39 (3.38%) abdomen 135 (11.71%) chest 117 (10.15%) buttock 106 (9.20%). Conclusion: Children and teen agars must be given education in school on possible dangers of using, match boxes, lighters and stove in the kitchen. Elders at home must be very careful while cooking and during other jobs in kitchens and children and infants should not be allowed in kitchen. House wives must be educated about extinguishing fire if accidentally there cloth caught fire and moreover house hold remedies for emergency purpose must be kept at a definite place for ready use.

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