Epilepsy as a Cause of Burns: Our Experience in Ain Shams University Burn Unit

Abstract

Lack of patient education, and unaffordable or inaccessible medications, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Egypt, leave patients with epilepsy at a higher risk of suffering burn-related injuries, especially with the unpredictable nature of seizures, which leads to accidental burns. We present this study to investigate all epileptic patients whose seizures were involved in the burn injury who presented to the Ain Shams University Burn Unit from January 2019 to July 2022, examining the epidemiology and outcome. A total of 369 burn patients were admitted to out unit during the study period (1st of January 2019 to 31st of July 2022), 5 (1.35%) of which sustained the burn during an epileptic seizure. The parameters assessed were patient demographics, location where burn injury occurred, type and extent of burns, treatment and hospital stay, and morbidity/ mortality rates. The mean age was 24.6 years. A total of 80% lived in low-income areas. Scalding was the most common cause followed by flame. The mean total body surface area and full-thickness burned surface area were 16.2% and 8.6%, respectively. The mean hospital stay was 34.4 days. None of the patients died. However, 1 case had to have an above-elbow amputation.