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. 2020 Aug;36(8):393-396.
doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001699.

Hospital-Based Emergency Department Visits With Pediatric Burns: Characteristics and Outcomes

Shelly Abramowicz, Veerasathpurush Allareddy  1 , Min Kyeong Lee  2 , Romesh P Nalliah  3 , Sankeerth Rampa  4 , Veerajalandhar Allareddy  5
Affiliations

Hospital-Based Emergency Department Visits With Pediatric Burns: Characteristics and Outcomes

Shelly Abramowicz et al. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics and outcomes in children presenting to emergency departments (EDs) with burn injuries.

Methods: The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) for the years 2008 to 2013 was used. All patients younger than 18 years who visited a hospital-based ED with a burn injury were selected. The study focused on (1) demographics (age, sex, insurance status), (2) characteristics of burns (types, causes), (3) disposition status after ED/hospitalization, (4) charges (ED and hospital), and (5) patient outcomes. Inclusion criteria were a visit to ED in the United States with a burn. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings.

Results: During the study period, there were 746,593 ED visits due to burn injuries. Majority were insured by Medicaid (52.8%). Most frequent injuries were burns of wrists/hands (39.5%), lower limbs (24.1%), and upper limb-except wrist/hand (20.1%). The most common causes of burns were heat from electric appliances (37.1%) or hot liquids and vapors (24.8%). Following the ED visit, 89.1% were discharged routinely, and 4.3% were admitted. Mean charge per patient per ED visit was $1117. Total ED charges across the United States was $708.7 million. When admitted, mean length of stay was 5.7 days. Total hospitalization charge across the United States was $1.7 billion.

Conclusions: Pediatric burn injuries require significant resources for stabilization and treatment by EDs. The present study highlights the burden and impact of pediatric burn injuries in the United States.

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References

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