Geographical distribution and access of burn victims to a specialized treatment unit: a cross-sectional study

Falco Neto, WilsonDomingos, Pedro HenriqueOkida, Gabriel SanchezPissolito, João FelipeSanches, Pedro Henrique SoubhiaAzevedo, Lucas Ribeiro deMourão Junior, Marcelo OliveiraSanches, José AntônioGragnani, Alfredo

ABSTRACT Purpose: To analyze the geographical distribution of patients treated at a burn treatment unit (BTU) in Catanduva, São Paulo, Brazil, and examine the relationship between geographic and clinical variables. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed patients hospitalized for burns between January 2018 and May 2022. Data were obtained from medical records and included patients' residence city, age, and percentage of total body surface area burned (%TBSA). The data were processed using QGIS and R, and travel distances and times were calculated. Statistical analyses included bivariate and correlation tests. Results: The total of 1,164 patients were analyzed. Most of them resided outside Catanduva, totaling 277 cities. The average distance was 179.37 km, and the average travel time was 140.94 minutes. Patients from Catanduva had an average age of 35.55 years old, and the average %TBSA was 12.15. Patients from outside Catanduva were significantly younger and had a higher %TBSA than the local patients. A weak but significant negative correlation was found between patient age and distance to the BTU (ρ = -0.14, p < 0.05), while %TBSA showed a weak positive correlation with travel distance (ρ = 0.21, p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the pre- and pandemic periods. Conclusion: This study highlights regional differences in specialized burn care access and may inform policy aimed at reducing care disparities.