Skin burns in Saudi Arabia: causes, management, outcomes and quality of life after skin burns

Background: Burn is one of the major global health problem causing trauma and stress. A burn injury can cause functional impairment and psychosocial burdens affecting the quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the life quality after skin burn and patients' satisfaction on skin grafting outcomes in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this cross-sectional community-based survey included 166 participants. Each participant was interviewed using a purposeful questionnaire. Results: The highest incidence of skin burn cases were recorded among female participants (n=133) compared to males (n=33). The highest cause of burn injury was scald (46.4%) and the highest injured parts were hands across all age groups (n=89). Multiple logistic regression models for different parts of skin burn patients showed highly significant values for hands (p < 0.001), CI, 0.181 (0.103-0.259). The maximum injury took place at home (88%). The majority of burns were scald and flame injuries (46.4% and 36.1%). Majority of patients had burns of 0-10% TBSA which is about 62.0% (p < 0.002, R-2=0.289). The mean DLQI scores ranged from < 1 to 27. Conclusion: Skin burns are common in Saudi Arabia and more prevalent among females. Most skin burns occur at home and the most causative agent is hot water predominantly affecting hands. The majority of burns are treated using topical creams, and only some of them undergo skin grafting. There is a relatively higher degree of acceptance of skin burns treatment outcomes among the Saudi population.