Abstract

JAIMES OSORIO, Sandra Liliana; RAMIREZ BLANCO, Mónica Alexandra  and  RAMIREZ RIVERO, Carlos Enrique. Characterization of chemical burns at the Hospital Universitario de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia, between 2009 and 2014. Medicas UIS [online]. 2016, vol.29, n.1, pp.11-16. ISSN 0121-0319.  https://doi.org/10.18273/revmed.v29n1-2016001.

Introduction: chemical Burns are serious injuries due to their high potential to cause local and systemic damage. They represent between 2.4% and 10.7% of the patients admitted to burn units, and have an associated mortality of 30%. The available literature on Latin America is scarce. Objective: the main objective of the study is to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with chemical burns treated at Hospital Universitario de Santander burn unit, in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Methods: this was an observational, descriptive, and retrospective study, which included patients who presented with burns by chemical agents between January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2014; 29 patients were included. Results: chemical burns accounted for 1.5% of all burns; 17 cases were male gender; all were II and III degree burns; total body surface did not exceed 25%. The most affected site was the upper limb; there was a greater association with work related accidents with 16 cases; acids were the principal chemical agent involved with 17 cases and there was encountered 5 injuries by assault; 19 patients required surgical intervention. Conclusions: chemical burns represent a small but significant percentage of burns, there is a clear association to accidental situations due to lack of training in the proper handling of chemicals, raising the need for primary prevention measures. MÉD.UIS. 2016;29(1):11-6.

Keywords : Epidemiology; Chemical burns; Burn Unit.

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