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Scalds as a result of vapour inhalation therapy in children
Belinda A Wallis1, Jason Turner, John Pearn
1Royal Children's Hospital Burns Research Group, University of Queensland, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Queensland 4029, Australia. rchburns@somc.uq.edu.au
Insights
Home treatment using warm-humidification for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) poses a significant risk of scald injuries in children. Increased awareness among parents and healthcare providers is crucial to prevent these serious burns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Injuries
- Public Health
- Respiratory Illness Management
Background:
- Home treatment for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) often involves warm-humidification.
- The safety and risks associated with these practices, particularly in children, are not fully understood.
- Paediatric scald injuries are a significant concern in emergency medicine and child safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify paediatric scald injuries resulting from inhaling warmed vapour or room warm-humidification for URTI treatment.
- To identify the specific devices and scenarios leading to these injuries.
- To inform preventative strategies for reducing scalds in children.
Main Methods:
- A 6-year consecutive case series of paediatric scald injuries (0-14 years) was analyzed.
- Data was collected from children treated at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Brisbane, Australia.
- Injuries were categorized based on the source: direct contact with hot water or room humidification.
Main Results:
- Twenty-seven children were treated for scald injuries linked to humidified air inhalation between 2001-2006.
- Injuries varied by age: steam burns to hands from vaporizers in children under three, and larger scalds from hot water spills in older children (5-14 years).
- The majority of burns were deep dermal partial thickness, with some requiring grafts or prolonged hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Warm-humidification for URTI treatment presents an under-recognized risk of serious scalds in children.
- Alternative methods like steam from a running shower in a bathroom can be safer.
- Enhanced awareness among parents and healthcare professionals is vital to decrease the incidence of these preventable burns.
Objective:
To determine the numbers of paediatric scald injuries associated with the practice of inhaling warmed vapour or warm-humidification of rooms for treatment of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).
Methods:
Cases comprised a 6-year consecutive series of scalds in children 0-14 years attending the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Brisbane, Australia. All scalds were sustained either directly from a container of hot water, or by room humidification.
Results:
During 2001-2006, 27 children were treated for scald injury associated with breathing humidified air. Aged from 7 months to 14 years, 44% were under 3 years old and the modal age was 1 year. Injuries included steam burns to the hands from commercial vapour-producing devices in children younger than three, and spills from containers of hot water which resulted in larger scalds to multiple body sites in children aged 5-14. No child received an airway scald from hot vapour. Two children required grafts and four had a prolonged hospital stay. Total body surface area (TBSA) scalded, ranged from 1% to 15% and the majority of burns were deep dermal partial thickness.
Conclusions:
The common practice of warm-humidification of inspired air as home treatment of URTI's carries an under-recognised risk of serious scalding. An alternative means of providing humidified air is to sit with your child in a closed bathroom whilst running the shower for a short time. If warm humidification is to be used, increased awareness of the risk by both parents and health professionals may reduce the incidence of this serious burn.
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