TABLE 2.
Burns presenting to Kamuzu Central Hospital, Malawi, between June 2008 and July 2009 according to time of day, season and age
| When injury sustained | Total No. of burn patients | Frequency of burns (patients/h or patients/month) | Statistical significancea | < 15 years old | ≥ 15 years old | Statistical significancea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time of day | P < 0.05 | P < 0.05 | ||||
| Morning (06.00 – 08.00 h) | 51 | 25.5 | 40 | 6 | ||
| Day (08.00 – 18.00 h) | 188 | 18.8 | 138 | 35 | ||
| Evening (18.00 – 20.00 h) | 67 | 33.5 | 43 | 17 | ||
| Night (20.00 – 06.00 h) | 52 | 5.2 | 23 | 23 | ||
| Unknown | 12 | – | ||||
| Season | P < 0.05 | NS | ||||
| Cool/dry (March – July) | 182 | 36.4 | 128 | 44 | ||
| Hot/dry (August – October) | 73 | 24.3 | 44 | 20 | ||
| Rainy (November – February) | 107 | 26.8 | 73 | 20 | ||
| Unknown | 8 | – |
a
χ2 test; NS, not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
Age-specific data were not available for all patients: time of day unknown, 12 patients; season unknown, 8 patients; age unknown, 33 patients.