An insight into burns in a developing country: a Sri Lankan experience

Abstract

Burn injuries represent a diverse and varied challenge to medical and paramedical staff. The management of burns and their sequelae in a well-equipped, modern burns unit remains demanding despite advances in surgical techniques and development of tissue-engineered biomaterials; in a developing country, these difficulties are amplified many times. Sri Lanka has a high incidence of burn-related injuries annually due to a combination of adverse social, economic and cultural factors. The management of burn injuries remains a formidable public health problem. The epidemiology of burns, challenges faced in their management and effective strategies specific to Sri Lanka, such as the Safe Bottle Lamp campaign, are highlighted in this paper.