Etiology of and mortality from burns at a general hospital

Abstract

The etiology of burns as seen at the King County Hospital in Seattle, Washington, is reviewed. Children's burns are most frequently caused by spilled hot liquids, while adults are most frequently burned as a result of falling asleep while smoking in bed. Greater parental effort to eliminate potential “hot liquid” hazards from the environment of small children would markedly reduce children's burns. The use of non-inflammable or fire-resistant materials in children's clothing would further reduce the number of burns among children. Many adult burns are easily preventable. This prevention rests with each adult. Our mortality statistics have been presented as one criterion of the effectiveness of the therapy consisting of whole blood transfusions, prevention of infection, early grafting, and careful fluid and electrolyte therapy. When these statistics are corrected for age, they show results in terms of survival that are comparable with those of other institutions using modern methods of therapy.