Comparison of the Epidemiology of Burns of Mexican and American Children

Abstract

The social factors and preventable risk factors that contribute to childhood burns are not always well documented, especially for children burned in foreign countries. In the past years children treated at this acute burn care facility primarily resided in the U.S. or Mexico. The purpose of this study was to compare the etiology of acute childhood burns of children from these countries to identify risk factors and contribute to the development of prevention programs. We reviewed the TRACS and EMTEK electronic databases of children admitted to this facility across a two year period (n=180). The mean age of burn for the entire group was 6.3±5.3 years and the mean TBSA was 40%± 22. Seventy-one patients were from the U.S., 98 from Mexico, and 11 from foreign countries. The mean age of burn for patients from Mexico and foreign countries was comparable (mean 6.7±5 years); children from the U.S. were slightly...