Pre-hospital Primary Treatment of Burn Injuries: Assessment of Knowledge of Community on the Management of Burn Patients

Objectives: To assess the degree of knowledge on the management of burn injuries and the first aid provided by the laymen before the arrival to the hospital Study Design: Prospective cross sectional study Place and Duration of Study: POF Hospital, Wah Cantt from 1st January 2018 to 30th June 2018. Methodology: Two hundred and three patients with scald, flame injuries, chemical burns, electrical, and other types of burns were included. A predefined questionnaire was administered to all the burns victims who were admitted into the POF hospital during the study period. Results: Overall results showed poor knowledge among the burns patients who presented at the burns department, 165 individuals had no knowledge of first aid. The majority took no immediate action for the burn injuries, while a minority used toothpaste, cold water and cooling to ease the pain. There was no association of gender with the type of immediate action provided to the patient before the arrival to the burns Centre. The management of the paediatric population was distinctively managed more appropriately compared to other burnt patients (p<0.001). It was found that gender was significantly associated with the time at which burn injuries were acquired (p=0.014). It was found that in the morning time, males were more frequently presented with burn injuries while in the evening, the case was reversed. Conclusion: There are significant gaps in the knowledge of the common man concerning the first aid management of burns victims.