Annual Report
February 6, 2019
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DR. RIZAL D. APORTADERA SPMC BURN UNIT
We have closed 2018 with a record number of 415 patients admitted and treated at the RDA, SPMC Burn Unit. Our Burn Unit is the biggest in the whole country with comparable number of patients admitted at the Dr. Alfredo Ramirez Burn Center in PGH. A total of 415 admitted patients for 2018. ( See chart A).
Majority of the patients admitted are children up to age 12 years old.
Majority of patients sustained their burned injuries due to hot liquid # 196
Burn injury due to Flame burns # 111
Electrical burn injury # 80
Chemical burn injury # 4
As is common among Burn patients in other majors International Burn Institutions, children are the most vulnerable age comprising of more than ½ of total burn admission annually. Here in our Unit children sustaining burn injury due to hot liquid are the majority of cases. Children from the depressed and financially challenged population comprises the majority as most of the children are chronically hungry and reaches out for anything that symbolizes food like hot cup of coffee, water, thermos or rice cooker. No admissions of patients coming from the affluent population. (See chart B)
Burn injuries caused by flame comprises 111 patients due to accidental burn due to Flammable agents like paint thinner to start fire, gasoline, liquid petroleum gas and burning house.
Electrical Burn injuries is the most devastating of Burn injuries resulted from contacts with high voltage electrical current resulting to severe burn and high rate of amputation. It is worthy to mention that many of these cases are accidental, electrical burn injury sustained by workers in construction sites with only 2 patients admitted employed by electrical companies as line men involved. Almost all of there cases resulted to amputation of both upper extremities due to extensive soft tissue burn. (See picture of Electrical injury)
Most of these 415 patients comes from Davao City (199), 50 patients from Davao Norte, 27 Davao Sur, 19 Davao Oriental, 51 ComVal, Agusan, Surigao, North and South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Sarangani Province, Zamboanga Sur, Sultan Kudarat and Bohol. (See chart A)
Mortality – we lost 22 patients out of 415 admission due to overwhelming Sepsis. Multi-organ failure, Respiratory failure. (See chart D)
We forecast more admissions for year 2019 as more provinces are aware of the Burn Unit and its capability to provide world class burn care. However since majority of the cases admitted are not prepared to underwrite their expensive treatment (high cost of Surgical dressing supplies and Surgery) the Unit has to source out support to help subsidize the cost of treatment. The Department of Health has not considered supporting Burn Units in the country as their priority nor has the PHIC included Burn treatment worthy of their attention and support. Southern Philippine Medical Center is suffering from chronic lack of supplies and drugs despite it being the biggest Medical Center in Mindanao. This lack of supplies compromises the treatment and survival of burn patients as emergency drugs needed at the time of their admission are not available. The financial constraints on the family to source out these needed medical and surgical supplies, has been mitigated through the support of donors and supporters to the Unit of funds to underwrite their treatment. Funds from donation of philanthropic individuals are used to purchase medicine and supplies which are stock in the Unit for the immediate use of patients. Bonafide patients needing skin grafting and surgery are also assisted by donated funds for the purchase of surgical supplies needed for their operation. (see chart attached). In developed countries like the USA they are maintaining 15 Regional Burn Units with Government support. In the whole US and the Shriners render full support to many of their Burn Centers in Cincinnati, Chicago, Texas, Florida and Hawaii. In our country maintaining a Burn Unit in Hospitals is not profitable and not many Doctors consider Burn treatment as a more compensating Specialty that is why up to the present there are not many Burn Units in the whole country nor Burn treatment Specialist. We cannot compare our predicament to countries like Taiwan when they had a massive burn casualties involving more than 400 patients at one time, they were able to transport these patients to more than 15 Burn treatment facilities in the Island which were able to manage and save most of their cases. We pray no such massive burn injuries happen in the near future.
Year End Report of the Dr. Rizal D. Aportadera SPMC Burn Unit.
I am pleased to report to you the patients admitted and treated for their Burn Injury from
January 2018 – December 2018.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF PATIENTS ADMITTED
CAUSES OF BURN INJURY
| Scalding (Hot Water) | – | 196 |
| Flame Burn | – | 111 |
| Electrical Burn | – | 80 |
| Chemical Burn | – | 4 |
| Electrical Flash Burn | – | 9 |
| Burn Inhalation | – | 1 |
| Electrical Contact Burn | – | 14 |
| ____ | ||
| 415 |
ORIGIN OF PATIENTS / SUMMARY
| Davao City | 199 | Surigao del Norte | 3 |
| Davao del Norte | 50 | Surigao del Sur | 10 |
| Daval del Sur | 27 | Maguindanao | 3 |
| Davao Oriental | 19 | Bukidnon | 4 |
| Davao Occidental | 5 | Camiguin | 3 |
| Compostela Valley | 51 | Sultan Kudarat | 3 |
| Agusan del Norte | 7 | Sulu | 1 |
| Agusan del Sur | 10 | Sarangani Province | 3 |
| North Cotabato | 14 | Bohol | 1 |
| South Cotabato | 3 | Zamboanga del Sur | 1 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 415 |
