[Burns in children in Africa (experience of the burns department at the Lomé University Hospital Center)].

Abstract

Treatment of burns patients in the Lomé Teaching Hospital Centre has been reviewed and adapted to local conditions. The present study concerned 108 burned children, treated over a two year period. Burns in children are frequent. Boys are affected more frequently: 66.6 p. 100. Accidents are, above all, domestic and occur during the cooking of meals, at an age of 3 to 4 years (66.4 p. 100). Only thermal burns are seen, boiling fluids being involved in 71.3 p. 100 of cases. Superficial burns are the most common: 63.9 p 100, and intermediate 21.3 p. 100. Treatment is based upon water and electrolyte replacement and exposure to air. Infectious complications are the most frequent. Mortality involves 6.4 p. 100 of cases. All of these children were more than 35 p. 100 burnt. The cause of death is often infection. Results show 72.5 p. 100 of cases of cure without sequelae, 18.2 p. 100 of anesthetic sequelae and 9.3 p 100 of functional sequelae. If it were needed, these sequelae emphasize the fact that prevention remains and will remain the best form of treatment of burns.