Tandir burns: A severe cause of burns in rural Turkey

Tandir is the name given to an oven used for baking bread in the eastern and south-eastern part of Anatolia. Tandir burn is a special kind of burns in which primarily women and small children fall in it and have deep extensive burns (TBSA %). The records of 60 patients with tandir burn who were treated in our Burn Center from September 1999 to January 2006 were reviewed. The patients consisted of 9.2% of all burned patients. The mean age was 17.10 years (1–60 years) and 61.50% of the patients were female. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 21.09% (6–58) and 88% of the patients had third-degree burns. Eight of the patients underwent amputation of an extremity, 10 had fasciotomies, and 25 partial thickness skin grafts. The mean hospitalization period was 31.64 days (3–73 days). Fifteen patients (25%) died. Tandir burn is a severe kind of burn with a higher morbidity and mortality.