Burn injuries are a leading cause of death and disability globally, with approximately 95 % of the health burden occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) established Global Burn Registry (GBR), researchers from the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington (UW) Department of Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and John Hopkins University aimed to describe gender-based differences in burn injury epidemiology as well as burn surgery received and death across the national income level.
This study posted in the American Journal of Surgery found that disparities exist in burn injury surgical care and outcomes by sex.
“We found that by using the GBR it is an important step in understanding the global burden of burn injuries and as a tool to uncover specific epidemiologic trends and bring attention to disparities experienced by vulnerable populations,” says Barclay T. Stewart, HIPRC Core Member and lead author.
Out of over 6400 burn patients, females less frequently received surgical treatment during hospitalization and more frequently died than males. Females also sustained more severe burn injuries than males, globally.
“The findings from this study can help understand the role of gender in burn injuries and inform future strategies and policies which could aim to minimize gender-based disparities in burn injury and outcomes,” says Dr. Stewart.
This study received funding from the Fogarty International Center (R25-TW009345) US National Institutes of Health and Pediatric Injury Prevention Student Internship, INSIGHT (5R25HD094336-02).