Language barriers and paediatric burns: does education make a difference?

A focused first aid education campaign was conducted in Sydney in 1996 for parents of children from Non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) to improve their knowledge of correct burns first aid treatment (BFAT). This study sought to determine the correlation, if any, between the reported beneficial results of this education campaign and the subsequent severity of burns in children. A retrospective review of all patients admitted to the state Burns Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW) over a 7-year period from January 1995 to December 2001 was performed. Number of patients, language spoken at home (English, Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese or Other) and the rate of burns requiring skin grafting was assessed. A total of 1,283 patients were admitted over 7 years. Skin grafting was required in 544 (42%). NESB children required grafting in up to 88% of cases prior to the first aid education campaign, reducing to a minimum of 37% at 1 year and 65% at 5 years following the campaign. This compared to 40 and 36%, respectively, for English speaking children. While the initial decrease in grafting requirements may reflect an effective education campaign, the subsequent rise suggests the need for reinforcement.