Epidemiology and Hospitalization Cost of Patients Died Due To Burn Injuries: a Survey of Provincial Data

Background and Objectives: The burn injuries are one of the serious public health problems which impose a high economic burden on patients and their family, health sector and community in general. This study aimed to explore epidemiological data of burn patients and factors influencing costs of hospitalization due to burn injuries in Kermanshah Province situated in Western Iran.   Methods: The study surveyed 625 burn patients who were admitted and died in the Imam Khomeini Hospital’s Burn Center in Kermanshah Province from 21 March 2009 to 20 March 2012. The data about demographics, cause of burn, burned body surface (BBS), length of stay (LOS), and cost of hospitalization were collected from hospital documentations. Descriptive analytical methods were used for data analysis.   Findings: The mean and median age was 32.5 and 27 years respectively. The female/male ratio was 2.45 (181 male and 444 female). Flame was found as the most common cause of death due to burn (~93 % of all deaths). The mean cost of hospitalization per one day stay and per one percent of BBS was 2897062.5 and 234897 IRR, respectively.   Conclusions: This study provides a holistic view for hospital managers and health policy-makers on demographic characteristics and cost of hospitalization due to burns in Kermanshah Province. Also the results showed that the cost of hospitalization in burn injury are related to the LOS, % BBS and the cause of burns.