Abstract
Studies show that young children are vulnerable to burn injuries. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of thermal injuries in this population. We included children below 6 years of age who visited the emergency department (ED) after thermal injuries who were registered in the Korean Emergency Department-based Injury In-Depth Surveillance (2011–2016) database. Demographic characteristics, injury-related factors, and factors associated with ED treatment were gathered from the data. Then, we divided all children into two groups according to the ED discharge status: discharge versus admission (including cases transferred to other hospitals). The characteristics of the two groups were compared, and factors associated with admission were investigated. During the study period, 11,667 children with thermal injuries visited the ED. The number of boys was higher than the number of girls, and children aged 1 year accounted for the largest proportion. Most cases occurred in spring and indoors; the home was found to be the most common place. The most common type of burn was scald burns (69%), followed by contact burns (25.9%), and the most commonly burnt body area was the upper limbs (43.7%), followed by the lower limbs (16.8%). Most children (95.8%) were discharged home. The odds for hospital admission were lower for 2–3 and 4–5 year olds than for 0–1 year olds. The odds for hospital admission for contact burns were lower and those for electrical burns were higher than odds for hospital admission for scald burns. In summary, those aged 0–1 showed the largest incidence of thermal injuries and the most common burn mechanism was scald burns. Upper limbs were the most commonly affected body area, but their odds for requiring admission was lowest. Our results could be used as baseline data for prospective interventional studies investigating ways to reduce the incidence of childhood thermal injuries.
Highlights
Burns are a major cause of injuries that result in death throughout the world
According to a report released by the World Health Organization, the annual loss of disability adjusted life years due to fire-related burn injuries is estimated to be as high as 10 million years [2]
Data from a single burn center in Korea reported that children aged
Summary
Burns are a major cause of injuries that result in death throughout the world. The annual number of fire-related deaths was estimated to be more than 0.3 million globally; this could be an underestimation if burn injuries from other sources such as hot materials and electrical current are not included [1]. According to a report released by the World Health Organization, the annual loss of disability adjusted life years due to fire-related burn injuries is estimated to be as high as 10 million years [2]. Data published by the World Health Organization in 2004 reported a global mortality rate from fire-related burn injuries of 3.9 per 0.1 million in children aged
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