Burns & Plastic Unit, Department of Surgery, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH)/College of Medicine, Lagos State University, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
Burns. 2011 Feb;37(1):145-52. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2010.06.012. Epub 2010 Sep 15.
Petroleum products are mostly inflammable and require strict regulations for safe handling. This study characterises the epidemiology of people who sustained burns from leaking petroleum pipes in Lagos, Nigeria. Risk factors for the leaks were determined and proposals for preventive measures made.
Records of burn patients treated in our hospital from June 1999 to September 2004 were studied and victims of petroleum pipeline fires treated from October 2004 to May 2007 interviewed.
Nine incidents of pipeline fire disasters occurred during the study period. A total of 646 victims sustained 100% burns and died at the disaster sites. Deliberate pipeline damage caused explosions in 55.6% of the cases and spontaneous ruptures in 44.4%. Forty-eight patients were admitted to our hospital for major burns from pipeline explosions. Their ages ranged from 15 to 50 years with a mean of 25.36 ± 5.62 years. The total body surface area (TBSA) involved in burns ranged from 31% to 100% with a mean of 75.71 ± 18.60. Over 40% of the patients had burns beyond 80% TBSA. Mortality rate was 67.3%. Poverty, irregular supply and high prices of petroleum products were responsible for the deliberate pipeline damage and lack of maintenance and surveillance for the spontaneous ruptures.
The incidents of fire disasters from broken petroleum pipelines increased over the study period with considerable mortality. Programmes to reduce poverty, regular product supply, pipeline maintenance and surveillance may reduce the occurrence of the disasters.
石油产品大多易燃，需要严格的安全操作规程。本研究对尼日利亚拉各斯因石油管道泄漏而烧伤的人群进行了流行病学特征分析。确定了泄漏的危险因素，并提出了预防措施。
对我院 1999 年 6 月至 2004 年 9 月收治的烧伤患者的病历进行了研究，并对 2004 年 10 月至 2007 年 5 月期间治疗的石油管道火灾受害者进行了访谈。
研究期间共发生 9 起管道火灾事故。共有 646 名受害者因 100%烧伤在灾难现场死亡。故意破坏管道导致爆炸的占 55.6%，自发破裂的占 44.4%。48 名因管道爆炸导致大面积烧伤的患者被收治入院。他们的年龄在 15 至 50 岁之间，平均年龄为 25.36 ± 5.62 岁。烧伤总面积（TBSA）范围为 31%至 100%，平均为 75.71 ± 18.60。超过 40%的患者烧伤面积超过 80%TBSA。死亡率为 67.3%。石油产品的贫困、供应不规律和价格高是导致故意破坏管道和缺乏维护和监测导致管道自发破裂的原因。
在研究期间，石油管道破裂导致的火灾事故有所增加，死亡率相当高。减少贫困、定期供应产品、管道维护和监测的方案可能会减少这些灾害的发生。
