Burn injury from products in the home: prevention and counseling

Each year in the United States, fire and burn injury is responsible for a high degree of morbidity and mortality. In 1996-1998, Wisconsin's mortality rate from unintentional fire and burn injury (1.22 deaths/100,000 population) was similar to the average United States mortality rate for such injuries (1.40), and significant morbidity leads to hospitalization, invasive procedures, and psychological trauma. This article describes the common types of product-related burn hazards in the home, the injuries associated with these hazards, prevention measures, and the health professional's important role in burn injury prevention.