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Abstract #148579

Dr. Sheikh Muazzam Nasrullah, BSc MBBS MPH, Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Faculty Building 1st floor, Stadium Road PO Box 3500, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan, 0092 21 486 4964, sheikh-muazzam.nasrullah.117@student.ki.se

Objectives: To review the epidemiological patterns of victims of burn in Punjab province of Pakistan between 2004 and 2005 with respect to social conext. Method: Secondary data of two years, 2004 and 2005 from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) was analyzed and compared. Variables compared were modes of burn incidents, the total deaths and the reasons for burns, events and circumstances leading to burns, relation with victim, victim's age and marital status. Results: Total incidences of burns were 145 in 2004 as compare to 77 in 2005. In 2004, burns because of acid thrown were 21 (females: 76.2%, n=16; males: 9.5%, n=2), cylinder explosion, electric shock and pressure cooker explosion causes 2 incidences each. Incidents because of “fire” were 52 (females: 100%, n=52), fire caught from stove were 46 (females: 95.6%, n=44, males: 2.2%, n=1) and burns due to the category “Others” were 20 (females: 80.0%, n=16, males: 20.0%, n=4).Similar pattern is seen in 2005, with females being the majority victims. Main reason for burns in both years was found to be accidental (n=55, 37.9% in 2004; n=42, 54.5% in 2005) with fire being the major culprit (n=52, 35.9% in 2004; n=24, 31.2% in 2005). Domestic issues cause most of the burn incidences (n=19, 24.7%) in 2005. In major, culprit's relations with victims remained unknown in both years followed by husbands (n=37, 25.5% in 2004; n=14, 18.2% in 2005) Conclusion: Females were over represented in both years. There were consistency in modes, reasons and circumstances leading to burns.

Learning Objectives:

• My presentation will help participants acquiring in depth knowledge of a social aspect of violence in a developing country, the burns. Participants will recognise the severity of the problem in the Sout East Asia. Also, they can identify the root cause of the problem. Further plans for future research can be discussed. Acquiring knowledge of burns, a type of violence, in social context will help the participants to recognise this issue as an act of brutality. It will augment them to identify the causative agents of this type of violence, thus a way to move in the direction of its prevention.

Keywords: Violence, Violence Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.