Location
Moultrie, GA
Start Date
17-4-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
17-4-2026 1:00 PM
Description
Introduction
Severe burn injuries remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Burn mortality is frequently estimated using the BAUX scoring system, with the revised version (rBAUX) incorporating inhalation injury as an additive predictor of risk. Traditionally, a BAUX score greater than 100 has been considered an indicator of extremely low survival. However, advances in resuscitation, critical care, and surgical strategies may influence the accuracy of this threshold. An improved understanding of the clinical and demographic factors that contribute to survival among patients with BAUX >100 is essential for accurate prognostication, resource planning, and patient counseling. This study evaluates variables associated with survival in this historically high-risk population.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted of burn patients admitted to the JMS Burn Center within the past 5 years with BAUX scores greater than 100. Demographics, BAUX score components, inhalation injury status, and outcomes were collected. Descriptive statistics summarized patient characteristics, while univariate tests and logistic regression identified factors independently associated with survival.
Results
A total of 120 patients met the inclusion criteria, with a 53% survival rate (63/120). Survivors were significantly older than non-survivors (75.4 vs. 65.6 years, p < 0.05), indicating that advanced age did not negatively impact survival in this cohort. Survival rates did not differ by race (White: 53.5% vs. Black/African American: 53.5%). Inhalation injury was associated with a substantial increase in mortality risk (p < 0.05). Logistic regression confirmed that the absence of inhalation injury was not an independent predictor of survival.
Conclusion
More than half of patients with BAUX >100 survived, demonstrating that this threshold is no longer a reliable marker of non-survivability. The unexpected association between older age and survival challenges the traditional BAUX and rBAUX weighting of age in severe burn prognostication. These results suggest that modern burn survival patterns differ significantly from those on which BAUX was established, and that risk scoring tools may require recalibration to better reflect current outcomes. Incorporating additional clinical and demographic factors may strengthen mortality prediction and enhance shared decision-making in the management of patients with severe burns.
Embargo Period
5-27-2026
Included in
Survival Predictors in Severe Burns: Age and Inhalation Injury Outcomes Among Patients With BAUX Scores >100
Moultrie, GA
Introduction
Severe burn injuries remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Burn mortality is frequently estimated using the BAUX scoring system, with the revised version (rBAUX) incorporating inhalation injury as an additive predictor of risk. Traditionally, a BAUX score greater than 100 has been considered an indicator of extremely low survival. However, advances in resuscitation, critical care, and surgical strategies may influence the accuracy of this threshold. An improved understanding of the clinical and demographic factors that contribute to survival among patients with BAUX >100 is essential for accurate prognostication, resource planning, and patient counseling. This study evaluates variables associated with survival in this historically high-risk population.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted of burn patients admitted to the JMS Burn Center within the past 5 years with BAUX scores greater than 100. Demographics, BAUX score components, inhalation injury status, and outcomes were collected. Descriptive statistics summarized patient characteristics, while univariate tests and logistic regression identified factors independently associated with survival.
Results
A total of 120 patients met the inclusion criteria, with a 53% survival rate (63/120). Survivors were significantly older than non-survivors (75.4 vs. 65.6 years, p < 0.05), indicating that advanced age did not negatively impact survival in this cohort. Survival rates did not differ by race (White: 53.5% vs. Black/African American: 53.5%). Inhalation injury was associated with a substantial increase in mortality risk (p < 0.05). Logistic regression confirmed that the absence of inhalation injury was not an independent predictor of survival.
Conclusion
More than half of patients with BAUX >100 survived, demonstrating that this threshold is no longer a reliable marker of non-survivability. The unexpected association between older age and survival challenges the traditional BAUX and rBAUX weighting of age in severe burn prognostication. These results suggest that modern burn survival patterns differ significantly from those on which BAUX was established, and that risk scoring tools may require recalibration to better reflect current outcomes. Incorporating additional clinical and demographic factors may strengthen mortality prediction and enhance shared decision-making in the management of patients with severe burns.