| Background:Liquefied petroleum gas(LPG)is a clean fuel that is widely used for domestic purposes in developing countries such as China and India.In 2005,China and India accounted for more than 20%of the world’s residential-commercial LPG consumption,and domestic LPG use was as high as 30%in China.Hence,the incidence of LPG-related burns has increased over recent years,and it has become a serious public health issue in developing countries such as India and Turkey.A previous study reported that LPG-related accidents increased from 10.7%of all kitchen accidents(2001-2007)to 20.2%(2009-2010)in India.Although other countries have reported increase in LPG burns,few studies in China exist.Therefore,it is imperative to study the profile and incidence of LPG-related burns in China.This paper aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of LPG related burns to provide assistance and suggestions for planning prevention strategies.Methods:A 5-year retrospective study was conducted in patients with LPG-related burns admitted to the Department of Burns&Wound Care Center of five hospitals in Zhejiang Province between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2015.Information obtained for each patient included age,gender,education status,occupation,medical insurance,average hospital cost,length of hospital stay,monthly distribution of incidence,place of burns,mechanism of burns,extent of burns,site of burns,accompanying injuries,and treatment outcomes.Results:For the first 2 years(2011-2012),the yearly incidence of LPG-related burns was at approximately 5%of all burns;however,in the fifth year(2015)alone,there was a surge to 15.99%.A total of 14553 burn patients were admitted during this period.Of these,1327 patients were admitted because of 1245 LPG-related accidents;there were 63 accidents involving more than one victim.Of the 1327 patients,725 were females and 602 were males,with a ratio of 1.20:1.In the terms of education status,most patients had a low education level(illiterate and primary school:40.13%;junior middle school:42.08%).Majority of people sustaining LPG-related burns were workers(32.10%)and farmers(36.62%).LPG-related burns occurred most frequently in patients aged 31-70 years(73.93%).The majority of injuries occurred from June to September(62.25%),and the most common place was home(66.62%,884 patients).Gas leak(95.10%)was the main cause of LPG related burns,followed by inappropriate operation(1.66%)and cylinder blast(0.68%).The mean burn area was 26.41±21.22%of TBSA.There were 32.82%patients with moderate burns,followed by mild burns(19.25%),severe burns(17.51%),and extremely severe burns(14.42%).The most common sites of burns were the upper extremities(34.75%),followed by the head/face and neck(24.46%)and lower extremities(26.17%).The most common accompanying injuries included inhalation injury(9.50%),shock(1.73%),and external injury(2.26%).The average hospital stay was 18.26±17.17 days(range 1-163 days).The number of patients who recovered at five hospitals was 1139(85.83%),while 175 patients left against medical advice(LAMA).The overall mortality rate was 0.98%(13 patients).Conclusion:Our study shows that the exponential increase in LPG-related burns is alarming.This calls for rigorous precautions.Because gas leak was the main cause of LPG-related burns,any part of LPG stove system that shows signs of weathering should be replaced regularly.In addition,we also found that most of the LAMA patients were uninsured.Thus,comprehensive medical insurance should be involved early in the recovery process to assure a safe and adequate discharge. |
PDF Full Text Request