Aim:
Electrical burns may develop because of the direct effect of electric current on the cell membrane and smooth muscle of blood vessels and because of the transformation into heat energy when passing through body tissues. Electrical burns account for 3%-5% of all cases of burns.
Materials and Methods:
A total of 213 patients with electrical burns who were admitted to our emergency department (ED) between 2001 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.
Results:
The mean age of patients was 33.7±10.8 (min: 18, max: 72 years), and 86.9% (n=185) of the patients were male. The majority of patients (63.4%; n=135) were living in city centers, followed by patients in the village (22.5%; n=48) and the countryside (14.1%; n=30) respectively. The most common occurrence times of the burns were 14:00 (5.6%; n=12) and 10:00–11:00 (4.2%; n=9). Of the patients, 39.4% (n=84) were admitted to our ED between 18:00 and 24:00. Third degree burns were seen in 57.9% (n=127) patients, second degree in 39.4% (n=84), and first degree in 0.9% (n=2). Subarachnoid hemorrhage was accompanied in one patient and acute abdomen in another. Mortality was 1% (n=2) in the burn center. Electrical burns were most frequently seen in August (14.1%; n=30), June (11.3%; n=24), and July (10.3%; n=22). However, it was rarely seen during winter months (16%; n=34). The average days of hospitalization were 26.4±24.8 (min: 1, max: 141 days).
Conclusion:
Electrical burns are not common compared with other burns and have a high percentage of third degree burns. The frequency of electrical burns increases during the summer in our region.
Keywords: Electrical burns, emergency department, degree burns, length of stay