Epidemiology and profile of pediatric burns in a large referral center

Background: Burns are a preventable cause of pediatric injury with over 100 000 annual hospitalizations. The authors hypothesize that analysis of injury patterns can generate age-specific and injury-specific prevention strategies to reduce these injuries. Methods: Data from the burn registry were collected over a 9-year period. Cross-tabulations were employed to examine associations. An analysis of variance model was used to examine differences in injury pattern. Results: Burns in children less than 1 year accounted for 16% of all admissions. The most common mechanism of injury was scalds (48.4%). Electrical and chemical burns occurred more often in older children. Suspected abuse (N = 142) accounted for 6.7% of all admissions. House fire injuries (N = 94) had a higher mean total burn surface area (18.2%). Smoke detectors were present in two thirds of the cases. Conclusions: These predictors can form the basis for targeted public health initiatives with a potential reduction in the number of burn injuries.