@article{ref1,
title="Self-inflicted burn injuries in the Australian context",
journal="Australasian psychiatry",
year="2014",
author="Wood, Rebecca",
volume="22",
number="4",
pages="393-396",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to calculate the number of self-inflicted burn injuries of all admissions in an Australian hospital burns unit. The secondary objectives included examining the demographic profile, length of stay and co-morbidity of mental illness in these cases compared with the total admissions to the burns unit. <br><br>METHODS: A retrospective study of medical records was conducted at a tertiary burns unit over a 5-year period. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 33 self-inflicted burn injury cases were identified which represented 2.2% of all burns unit admissions. These patients were 70% male, the average age was 36.1 years and 11 were born overseas, which was similar to the profile of all admissions. Twenty-four (73%) patients were diagnosed with a mental illness, compared with 14% for all admissions. The average length of stay was 52 days, compared with the burns unit average of 12 days. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: While the percentage of self-inflicted burn cases of all burns unit admissions was low, these cases have a greater burden of care due to their longer admission time and higher frequency of co-morbid mental illness. This finding supports the need for close involvement of consultation liaison psychiatry teams within a burns unit.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1039-8562",
doi="10.1177/1039856214537126",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1039856214537126"
}