Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Burn is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality in the world that has serious economic and social consequences. This study aims at evaluating gender differences as an important role in risk exposure and burn injury characteristics and prognosis of burn patients.

Methods and Materials: In this retrospective study we extracted the data of burn patients admitted to Shahid Motahari hospital in Tehran from 2007 to 2012 to find about the role of gender in the etiology, burn severity, hospitalization duration, prognosis, mortality rates and other demographic features of the patients.

Results: A total number of 7021 patients were studied (25.9% female and 74.1% males) with the mean age 28.5 years for women and 28.8 years for men. There was a statistically significant difference in mortality rate, the degree and the percentage of burn, marital status, hospitalization duration between two genders. The most common cause of burning in women was boiling water and in men, electrical burning. The mortality rate in women was more than men (22.3% vs. 13.6%). The degree of burn in women was often grade 2 and in men grade 3. The mean of hospitalization was longer in men however the average of burn percentage was more in women. The number of self-burning as aد suicidal attempt was seen significantly more in women than men.

Conclusion: The most common cause of burn in women is boiling water. It seems that boiling water due to sloping down and heat loss results in a greater extent and lesser degree of burns. Women immunologic situation is another cause of mortality. Considering more self-burning in women, it seems that psychological counseling and improving psychological attitude can result in reducing women suicidal attempts. Also preventive education particularly during cooking  and using boiling water in women and providing conservation facilities for men in the workplace can enhance the survival of patients after burn in the future studies.