Pediatric burn injuries treated in US emergency departments between 1990 and 2006

Abstract

Objective: The goal was to examine comprehensively the patterns and trends of burn-related injuries in children, adolescents, and young adults treated in US emergency departments between 1990 and 2006.

Methods: Through use of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, cases of nonfatal burn-related injuries were selected by using diagnosis codes for burns (scalds, thermal, chemical, radiation, electrical, and not specified). Sample weights were used to calculate national estimates. US Census Bureau data were used to calculate injury rates per 10000 individuals <or=20 years of age. Computation of relative risks with 95% confidence intervals was performed.

Results: An estimated 2054563 patients <or=20 years of age were treated in US emergency departments for burn-related injuries, with an average of 120856 cases per year. Boys constituted 58.6% of case subjects. Children <6 years of age sustained the majority of injuries (57.7%), and more than one half of all injuries (59.5%) resulted from thermal burns. The body parts injured most frequently were the hand/finger (36.0%), followed by the head/face (21.1%). Of the 1542913 cases for which locale was recorded, 91.7% occurred at home. The rate of burn-related injuries per 10000 children decreased 31% over the 17-year time period.

Conclusions: Burn-related injuries are a serious problem for individuals <or=20 years of age and are potentially preventable. Children <6 years of age consistently sustained a disproportionately large number of injuries during the study period. Increased efforts are needed to improve burn-prevention strategies that target households with young children.