Determinants of Prolonged Length of Stay and Financial Burden After Burn Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Cohort studyPlastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open· Jun 2026

Determinants of Prolonged Length of Stay and Financial Burden After Burn Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Metasebia Worku Abebe, Hanna Atlabachew, Greta L Davis

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Burns & Wound ReconstructionCohort studyPrognosisQ1IF 1.8

Burn patients in Addis Ababa were hospitalized a mean of 33.5 days.

Determinants of Prolonged Length of Stay and Financial Burden After Burn Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Metasebia Worku Abebe … Greta L Davis

Plastic and reconstructive surgery · Jun 2026 · Q1 in Surgery

Background

Burn injuries impose substantial burdens in low- and middle-income countries, where prolonged hospitalization occurs due to limited specialized centers, resources, and surgical delays.

Purpose

This study examines factors associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS) and treatment costs relative to catastrophic health expenditure (catastrophic health expenditure) thresholds among burn patients treated at a tertiary center in Ethiopia.

Methods

Burn patients treated at the Addis Ababa Burn, Emergency, and Trauma Center from January 2023 to 2025 were prospectively enrolled in this observational cohort study.

n = 196 patients

33.5

Results

33.5

days

longer stays reflect more severe burns and complications, driving costs up

n = 196 patients

More results

Electrical (36.4%) and flame (35.2%) injuries predominated in adults versus scalds in children (73.1%).

Total body surface area and sex distribution were similar across groups, but pediatric burns were more superficial and required fewer surgical procedures (0.6 versus 1.4).

More results

The number of procedures and systemic infections remained independently associated with log-transformed LOS in adjusted analyses for all groups (all P < 0.05).

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Prolonged LOS after burn injury in Addis Ababa is driven by clinical severity and complications, escalating costs toward catastrophic levels.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Prevention strategies and age-tailored clinical pathways may shorten LOS, reduce costs, and strengthen financial risk protection in low-resource settings.

Determinants of Prolonged Length of Stay and Financial Burden After Burn Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Determinants of Prolonged Length of Stay and Financial Burden After Burn Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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