Background: Major burn injuries are frequently complicated by multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS), which remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While outcomes have improved in high-income countries in recent years, there is no local data on MODS among burn patients.

Objective: To determine the incidence, pattern of organ involvement, and prognosis of multiorgan failure among major burns patients admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Design: This was a prospective observational study.

Study Setting: The Kenyatta National Hospital burns unit and plastic surgery wards (4D).

Subjects/Participants: We enrolled 78 patients with major burns, defined as ≥20% TBSA in adults and ≥15% TBSA in children, with or without inhalation injury. Patients were followed up over the course of admission and reviewed on a daily basis for features of organ dysfunction. Organ dysfunction was assessed using the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score for adults, and a paediatric version (pSOFA) for paediatric participants.

Results: The study enrolled seventy-eight patients, most of whom were male (60.3%, n = 47). The age distribution of the participants was skewed; it ranged from 4 months to 59 years, with a median of 14 years and an interquartile range of 22.5 years. The cumulative incidence of MODS was 38.5%, with an overall mortality risk of 20%. The lungs and the liver were the most commonly affected organ systems at 51.3% and 48.7%, respectively.

Conclusion: There was a high incidence of MODS among major burns patients admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital, with over one-third developing MODS. All patients admitted with major burns should be closely monitored for the development of MODS.

Keywords: Major burns, Multiorgan Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), SOFA score