The burning issue of injury in Ireland: Part 1

Abstract

Intentional and non intentional injury is a major global public health concern. Traditionally, injuries have been regarded as random, unavoidable 'accidents'. However, within the last few decades a better understanding of the nature of injuries has changed these old attitudes, and today both unintentional and intentional injuries are viewed as largely preventable events. Burn injuries are of special importance in the field of injury prevention. On average, 82 people die in Ireland each year from fire and burns. However, burn injuries have known causes and can be prevented and controlled. In order to prevent burn injuries it is important to understand the aetiology and epidemiology of burn injuries. The aim of this 3 part series of articles is to provide an overview of burn injury care where this first article focuses on current epidemiology, aetiology and burn injury prevention strategies.