Clinical outcome analysis of male and female genital burn injuries: A 15-year experience at a Level-1 Burn Center

• Published in: International journal of urology Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 351 - 358
• Main Authors: Abel, Nicole J, Klaassen, Zachary, Mansour, E Hani, Marano, Michael A, Petrone, Sylvia J, Houng, Abraham P, Chamberlain, Ronald S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Burn Units - statistics & numerical data; Burns - mortality; Burns - rehabilitation; Burns - therapy; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; genital burns; Genitalia - injuries; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Male; management; Middle Aged; outcomes; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Trauma Severity Indices; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0919-8172; 1442-2042
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-2042.2011.02943.x

Objectives:  The American Burn Association classifies a burn to the genitalia as a major injury. Isolated burns to the penis, scrotum or vulva are rare as a result of protection provided by the thighs and abdomen. Thus, burned genitalia represent an ominous sign of a more extensive total body surface area burn. Methods:  A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients admitted to a Level‐1 Burn Unit with a burn involving the genitalia from January 1995 to December 2009 comprised the study population. Results:  A total of 393 patients of 5878 patients (6.7%) admitted to the Burn Unit suffered a burn involving the genitalia, including 253 males (64.4%) and 140 females (35.6%). The median total body surface area was 12% (range 1–100%), the most common cause of genital burn was scald (n = 246, 62.9%) and median length of stay was 9 days (range 1–472 days). A total of 269 patients (68.4%) were discharged to home from the hospital, and in‐hospital mortality was 20.9%. Conclusions:  The typical profile for those sustaining a genital burn include younger patients (≤30 years‐of‐age), sustaining a median total body surface area burn of 12% from a scald injury, with extensive genitalia involvement. Length of stay for genital burns is usually extended and, as a result of concomitant injuries, is associated with a 20% in‐hospital death rate.