Burn patterns of Asian ethnic minorities living in West Yorkshire, UK

Whereas burn morbidity and mortality have been well studied among natives of Southeast Asia, few have studied the epidemiology of burn injury among UK Asian ethnic minority immigrants. A 1 year prospective study of all patients presenting with burns to Bradford Royal Infirmary was carried out. Four hundred and sixty patients were studied, 188 (41%) were Asian ethnic minorities. The average patient age was 17 years for the Asian group and 27 years for the non-Asian patients. Contact burns were responsible for 29% of injuries in Asian patients and 19% in the other group. Thirty-seven percent of contact burns in the Asian ethnic minority group were caused by hot irons. Eleven percent of Asian patients had treated their burn with inappropriate remedies including saiti, butter, and toothpaste. There were no significant differences between Asian and non-Asian patients in terms of large or deep burns, nor in mortality. Morbidity and mortality from burn injury among UK Asian patients and other groups in the UK are similar; however, a disproportionate number of Asian patients sustain smaller burns. Much of this is behaviour related, and it is hoped that through preventative measures a marked reduction in the number of Asian ethnic minority burns can be achieved.