Epidemiology and outcome of 1442 pediatric burn patients: A single-center experience

BACKGROUND: Burns are common injuries among children resulting with significant mortality and morbidity, especially in developing countries. Epidemiological data may guide for the preventive measures and contribute reducing the incidence of burns in children. The aim of this study is to report the epidemiological features of pediatric burn patients treated in a tertiary burn center and to suggest preventive measures. METHODS: Between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019, a total of 1442 children hospitalized in our burn center were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic, epidemiological, and clinical data including burn etiology, percentage of burned total body surface area (TBSA), hospital stay, infection, and mortality rate were reported. RESULTS: The percentage of burned TBSA was 11.23±10.70 and the length of hospital stay was 14.38±18.1 days. In total, 89.18% of the patients (n=1286) experienced burn injury indoors. With regard to the etiology, scalding with hot water and tea was the most common in all age groups. Flame burn incidence increases after infancy, and electrical burns occur more in school age. A total of 10 patients (0.69%) were died and seven of them were delayed referrals from other hospitals. CONCLUSION: Infants and males consist of the majority of our pediatric burn patients. The percentage of burned TBSA and length of hospital stay increased as the patient age increased. Childhood burn injuries are mainly scald burns that occur indoors, while their parents were nearby. Therefore, education programs focusing on primary prevention addressing family members are required to avoid pediatric burns.