Nonfatal scald-related burns among adults aged >/=65 years--United States, 2001-2006

Abstract

Scalds, which are burns attributed to hot liquids or steam, account for 33%-58% of all patients hospitalized for burns in the United States. Adults aged >/=65 years have a worse prognosis than younger patients after scald burns because of age-related factors and comorbid medical conditions, and they are subject to more extensive medical treatment than younger adults. To estimate the number of emergency department (ED) visits for nonfatal scald burns among U.S. adults aged >/=65 years and describe their characteristics, CDC analyzed ED visit data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) for 2001-2006. This report summarizes the results, which indicated that adults aged =65 years made an estimated 51,700 initial visits to EDs for nonfatal scald burns during 2001-2006, for an average of 8,620 visits per year and an estimated average annual rate of 23.8 visits per 100,000 population. Two thirds of visits were made by women. Most (76%) of the nonfatal scald injuries occurred at home; 42% were associated with hot food and 30% with hot water or steam. The findings in this report highlight the need for effective scald-prevention programs targeted to older persons.