IJBT1107003

Abstract: Electrical injury is a major cause of burn injury and significant cause of mortality, morbidity and disability. To explore the proportional incidence of thermal and electrical burn injuries in Bangladesh, a population-based cross sectional survey was conducted between January and December 2003. Nationally representative data was collected from 171,366 rural and urban households, comprising of a total population of 819,429.The study was designed to describe the proportional incidence of thermal, electrical and chemical cause of burn in Bangladesh. Electrical injury constituted about one third of the total burn injuries. Among the total 1,999 injuries about 31% were due to electrical injuries, about 26% were due to flame, about 25% were due to hot liquid, over 16% by hot object, about 2% by chemical and less than 1% were due to explosives. The incidence of death rate was 3.97 per 100,000 populations per year. Thermal burn was found as the major cause of death due to burn injures and constituted 58% of the total deaths due to burn. Electrical injuries caused 42% of the deaths. It was estimated that more than 5,600 people die due to burn and electrical injuries every year in Bangladesh considering the incidence rate of 3.97 per 100,000 populations per year in the 150 million population. Electrical injury including lightning constitute about one third of the burn related mortality, morbidity and disabilities. Rural people and children are the more vulnerable group. Electrical injury needs to be included as a special component in a burn prevention strategy, particularly in rural Bangladesh

Epidemiology of fall injury in rural Bangladesh

© 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Globally, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, with 80% occurring in low-and middle-income countries. The overall objective of this study is to describe the burden and risk factors of falls in rural Bangladesh. In 2013, a large household survey covering a population of 1,169,593 was conducted in seven rural sub-districts of Bangladesh to assess the burden of all injuries, including falls. The recall periods for non-fatal and fatal injuries were six and 12 months, respectively. Descriptive, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. The rates of non-fatal and fatal falls were 36.3 per 1000 and 5 per 100,000 population, respectively. The rates of both fatal and non-fatal falls were highest among the elderly. The risk of non-fatal falls was higher at extremes of age. Lower limb and waist injuries were frequent following a fall. Head injuries were frequent among infants (35%), while lower limb and waist injuries were frequent among the elderly (\u3e65 years old). Injuries to all body parts (except the waist) were most frequent among men. More than half of all non-fatal falls occurred in a home environment. The injury patterns and risk factors of non-fatal falls differ by sociodemographic factors

Care-seeking patterns and direct economic burden of injuries in Bangladesh

© 2017 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This study provides a comprehensive review of the care-seeking patterns and direct economic burden of injuries from the victims’ perspective in rural Bangladesh using a 2013 household survey covering 1.17 million people. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to derive rates and test the association between variables. An analytic model was used to estimate total injury out-of-pocket (OOP) payments and a multivariate probit regression model assessed the relationship between financial distress and injury type. Results show non-fatal injuries occur to 1 in 5 people in our sample per year. With average household size of 4.5 in Bangladesh--every household has an injury every year. Most non-fatally injured patients sought healthcare from drug sellers. Less than half of fatal injuries sought healthcare and half of those with care were hospitalized. Average OOP payments varied significantly (range: $8–$830) by injury type and outcome (fatal vs. non-fatal). Total injury OOP expenditure was $$355,795 and $5000 for non-fatal and fatal injuries, respectively, per 100,000 people. The majority of household heads with injuries reported financial distress. This study can inform injury prevention advocates on disparities in healthcare usage, OOP costs and financial distress. Reallocation of resources to the most at risk populations can accelerate reduction of preventable injuries and prevent injury related catastrophic payments and impoverishment