Overview of ethno-folkloric burns in the Republic of Slovenia

The article describes typical folkloric- and ethnographic-related burns/scalds in Slovenia. All of the mentioned burns/scalds derive from the life of a nation, and are primarily a result of specific customs, traditions and activities carried out in a rural environment. Prolonged periods of lying on a hot tiled wood burner results in deep contact burns. The preparation work for pig slaughtering ('koline') is dangerous due to the large quantities of boiling water required for the slaughter process and meat production technology. Distilling spirits in an improvised domestic setting is another cause of burns/scalds, as the production of spirits is carried out in several stages with a high risk of burn trauma in the event of negligence. These types of burns/scalds occur in rural farming areas. Such injuries are most often ignored and patients, children excepted, do not seek medical help until later, after they have completed their activity. Due to aggressive thermal agents, these are deep burns that often require specialist surgical care with long-term treatment. Results are evaluated on the basis of a tenyear statistical and clinical experience. Incidence of the aforementioned burns is considerably lower today than it was in the past due to national prevention measures and new European legislation on energy and agriculture. In the future, we expect these distinctive burns/scalds to become a rarity.