The care and management of burn patients is ever evolving with the continual improvement of equipment, medication, wound care products and superior treatment protocols. These advances have lead to significant increases in the survival rate of burn patients, most dramatically in the latter quarter of the 20th century. Overall survival rates have increased substantially across all total body surface area (TBSA) stratifications. However, this increase in survival has not been distributed across the age continuum. The mortality rate in the elderly population has shown little or no improvement based upon our data showing that elderly patients, over the age of 75, have a higher mortality versus patients 55 to 75.

The Arizona Burn Center survival rates from 1997 through 2000 were compared with burn patient survival data published in 1971 from the National Burn Information Exchange. An analysis revealed that overall survival had improved from 83% in 1971 to 96% for the aforementioned three-year period. Survival rates for patients age 0-59 years were improved throughout all TBSA ranges. Patients age 60-74 had improved survival rates until the TBSA reached 40%, and then no survival advantage existed. Finally, in patients 75 years and older, survival rates were nearly identical to those of thirty years ago, throughout all the TBSA ranges.

The purpose of this study is to determine the mortality rate of patients age 75 or greater that were admitted to burn centers that are members of the American Burn Association Multicenter Trials Group from 1993 through 2003. The presence of preexisting medical diagnosis that may impact mortality will be noted. In addition this study is designed to capture multiple variables from the individual's hospitalization that may also significantly impact mortality. This information will be analyzed for potential unique predictors of mortality.