Publication:

A third-trimester pregnancy complicated by moderate flame burn injury: clinical course and outcome

Burn injuries during pregnancy are rare but represent a significant obstetric emergency with potential adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Physiological changes of pregnancy, combined with the systemic inflammatory response to burns, complicate resuscitation, infection control, and obstetric decision-making, particularly in late gestation. Management becomes more complex in the third trimester due to fetal viability and the need to consider timing and mode of delivery. We report a case of a 21-year-old multigravida at 36 weeks of gestation with moderate-severity accidental flame burns involving 20–25% total body surface area (TBSA). The patient was managed at a tertiary care centre with prompt maternal stabilization, multidisciplinary coordination, and elective lower segment caesarean section (LSCS). Both maternal and neonatal outcomes were favourable. This case highlights the importance of early referral to tertiary care, individualized obstetric decision-making, and multidisciplinary management in achieving optimal outcomes in third-trimester burn injuries.