Burn injuries among children aged up to seven years

BALSEVEN-ODABASI A., TÜMER A. R., KETEN A., YORGANCI K.

TURKISH JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS, vol.51, no.4, pp.328-335, 2009 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 51 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2009
  • Journal Name: TURKISH JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.328-335
  • Keywords: pediatric burns, children, prevention, etiology, neglect, CHILDHOOD BURNS, PEDIATRIC BURNS, NONACCIDENTAL BURNS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, ETIOLOGY, PREVENTION, UNIVERSITY, TANDIR, RISK, UNIT
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

We investigated characteristics of burns in children aged up to seven years and hospitalized at our Burn Unit between I January 2000 and 31 December 2007 in order to detect risk factors and prepare a program for prevention of burn injuries in children. There were 119 boys and 81 girls (ratio 1:0.67) and the mean total body surface area burned was 16.6+/-12.5%. Sixty-nine percent (n = 138) of the bum-injured children were under three years old. Scalds accounted for more than 60% of the pediatric burns occurring in all age groups. The anterior trunk was the most frequently affected body part (51.5%). The overall mortality rate was 4% (8 deaths). The children included in this study were younger than seven years and they were supposed to be under the care of their parents. Parental neglect might have played a role in burn injuries in these children. In developing countries like Turkey, parents should be offered education about prevention of burn injuries in childhood.