An audit of non-accidental injury in burned children

Abstract

The incidence of non-accidental injury in burned children and the repeat injury rate following non-accidental injury is very high according to some reports. A retrospective follow-up review was undertaken for all patients admitted to the Plymouth Paediatric Burns Unit over a 47-month period. Hospital records, general practitioners' records and the Social Services Department were used to gain follow-up information. The incidence of confirmed abuse was about 3 per cent and this included intentional injury as well as other forms of abuse such as neglect. The repeat injury rate was very low indeed. These figures are very much lower than many of the published figures. This may be due to differences in the definition of non-accidental injury, differences in the population make-up or simply that a burn injury is a relatively uncommon form of non-accidental injury in Devon and Cornwall.