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The severity of kettle burns and the dangers of the dangling cord

W J M Holmes1, B Keane, H Rode

  • 1Paediatric Regional Burn Unit, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Klipfontein Road, Cape Town, South Africa. willjmholmes@googlemail.com

Burns : Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
|November 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Kettle scalds are a growing problem for children, with pulling the cord being the main cause. This study highlights the severity of these pediatric burn injuries and suggests design changes for kettles to improve child safety.

Area of Science:

  • Paediatric burn injury
  • Consumer product safety

Background:

  • Kettle scalds represent a significant and increasing cause of paediatric burn injuries.
  • Existing preventative measures have not curbed the rising incidence of these injuries.
  • There is a lack of detailed information on the severity and mechanisms of kettle scalds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively analyze paediatric scald injuries referred to a tertiary burn centre.
  • To quantify injury severity, outcomes, and mechanisms.
  • To audit safety features of popular kettles and inform preventative strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective analysis of 119 paediatric kettle scald injuries.
  • Data collection on patient demographics, burn severity (Total Body Surface Area - TBSA), length of stay, and surgical interventions.
  • Investigation into the mechanism of injury, focusing on kettle cord involvement.
  • Audit of safety features, including cord length and tidy mechanisms, of 19 top-selling kettles.

Main Results:

  • The primary mechanism of injury was pulling the kettle cord (74%), particularly in younger children (mean age 20 months).
  • Injuries were severe, with a mean TBSA of 11.8%, requiring surgical procedures in 62% and grafting in 52%.
  • Kettle cords averaged 66 cm, with only 30% featuring a coil tidy, and cord-pulling led to inhalational injuries in 4 cases.

Conclusions:

  • Pulling the kettle cord is a major cause of severe paediatric burns, especially in toddlers.
  • Current kettle designs and safety features are inadequate, necessitating a review of legislative policy on cord length and tidy mechanisms.
  • Future prevention strategies should focus on product design modifications to mitigate the risk of kettle scalds in children.

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