Epidemiology and Electrical Burn Injury.
Electrical burns account for a small percentage of all burn injuries. However, in burn patients, they are a major source of disability. They put socioeconomic burden on the society. This is a retrospective epidemiological study of 282 electrical burn patients admitted in burn unit of a tertiary care hospital of North India. Majority of the electrical burn was due to accidental touching of uncovered wires and occupation-related burns in laborers and industrial workers who were mainly young males in the age group 20 to 40 years. Most of the cases were of high-voltage (≥1000 V) electrical burns. More severe burns, longer hospital stays, and more problems and operations were all linked to high-voltage burns. Amputation rates for high-voltage burns were significantly higher (37.3%) as compared to low-voltage burns (13.6%). Electrical burn injuries can be prevented by awareness programs, proper training, and safety measures both by public and government.
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