Scalds in pediatric emergency department: a 5-year experience

Scald injuries are the most common type of burn in childhood. The authors' aim in this study was to determine the characteristics of scald burns and to identify clinical signs and symptoms which help to predict the indications for hospitalization after scalding burn injury. All patients were retrospectively evaluated according to gender, ages, cause of burn, burn size and depth, distribution of burn area, first aid given, management, and patient's outcomes. The factors affecting indication for hospitalization were retrospectively analyzed in 165 patients, 95 males and 70 females aged 1 month to 13 years (mean 2.74 +/- 2.44 years), with scalding burn injury. The most common cause of scald injuries were hot water (106 patients) or hot tea and coffee (39 patients). The mean percent of TBSA burned was 10.26 +/- 7.26%. Sixty-nine patients had required hospitalization. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, among study subjects, only age and TBSA were risk factors significantly correlated to hospitalization (P < .001, P < .01, respectively). Prevention of scald injuries will require a two-prolonged approach: educating families and changing the traditional methods of preparing soup, milk, and tea in Turkey and elsewhere. To create effective programs for preventing scald injuries, it is essential to consider ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors based on these characteristics.