Burns in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

Burns are frequent in Côte d'Ivoire with about 700 cases yearly registered in the three Teaching Hospitals of Abidjan (Yopougon, Treichville and Cocody). Unfortunately, no specialized substructure is equipped for treating these patients in the country. The aim of the retrospective study carried out during 1993 in the Burns Care Unit of the Teaching Hospital of Cocody is to illustrate the epidemiology of burns in a poorly developed country in West Africa. Faced with many problems and especially a lack of space, the burns care unit is fighting to become a burns centre, which may become functional in 1995. Regarding studies from other countries, the results from our service are comparable to those obtained in poorly developed countries, they are different from those notified in countries with a higher socioeconomic level where substructures and financial means allow more appropriate care. The Abidjan Burns Centre aims to improve the current preventive activities and to provide burned people with the best possible care.