ANALISI RETROSPETTIVA SULLA EPIDEMIOLOGIA DELLE USTIONI NEL VENTENNIO 1971-1991

A number of changes has been introduced in the fundamental approaches to the prevention and treatment of burns during the last twenty years. An essential care level has been accomplished in labor organization, following the incidents increase, as a consequence of considerable changes in the contemporary life-style. The aim of this study was to compare the variation in the mortality rate in relation to the proportion of cases with severe burns (b.s.a. [%] > 35%) of both sexes, to establish the relationship between the days spent in hospital and the age of the patients on the one hand and the gravity of the cases on the other. Our study covers a period of about twenty years. During this span of time there was a remarkable trend towards a decrease in the numbers of persons recovered in hospitals with severe burns, without a significant sex difference, though the male prevalence was visible. There was also a net decrease in the percentage of patients with severe burns. The general trend in cases with serious burns demonstrated a global decrease. The time spent in hospital by patients with severe burns demonstrated a notable age-wise variability: more time to release for children, less for adults. As an interesting observation should be considered the fact that persons in their active years (15-60), apparently had spent less days in hospital. It can be concluded that the care developments in the latests years have led to satisfactory improvements in the treatment of persons suffering from burns.