Clinical profile, treatment outcomes of burn injuries and their associated factors among patients admitted in HarME-center, HFCSH, Harar, Eastern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries, caused by heat, radiation, chemicals, electricity, or friction, are a major public health issue, accounting for an estimated 200,000 deaths globally each year and placing a significant socioeconomic burden on low-income countries. However, no published data address the clinical profile, causes, and outcomes of burn injuries in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the clinical profile, treatment outcomes, and related factors among patients admitted to the Emergency Center with burn injuries. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Emergency Center of Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from June 30, 2021, to June 30, 2024. A census was used to include all 182 available burn patients. Data were collected from medical records reviews using a structured checklist. Data were entered into Epidata version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive analyses, including percentages, frequency distributions, and measures of central tendency, were performed. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with burn outcomes, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor treatment outcomes was 20.33% (95% CI: 14.4-26.2%). Factors including total body surface area greater than 30% (AOR = 12.63, 95% CI: 2.64-60.39), prehospital intervention (AOR = 4.29, 95% CI: 1.59-11.52), and patients with concomitant medical conditions (AOR = 5.19, 95% CI: 1.40-19.19) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION: In our study, about one-fifth of the participants experienced poor burn treatment outcomes. Additionally, a total body surface area greater than 30%, pre-hospital intervention, and concomitant medical conditions were the factors that were significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes. Therefore, emphasis should be given to the need for community-based burn prevention strategies, hospital-led public awareness campaigns, and pre-hospital burn management training for health facility professionals. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.