Moxibustion-Induced Burns in a Burn Unit in Northeast China: An 8-Year Retrospective Analysis

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the characteristics of burns caused by moxibustion. A retrospective survey of the medical records of patients was performed on patients who visited our center from January 2009 to January 2017, treating for burns caused by moxibustion. Data were extracted and evaluated, including demographics, site and extent of burns, type and treatment duration of moxibustion, practitioners, and cost. A total of 82 consecutive patients treated for moxibustion-induced burns were included. The average patient age was 42.4 years, with the male to female ratio of 1.2:1. Burns caused by direct and indirect moxibustion were 7 and 75 cases, respectively. Averagely, moxibustion was performed 3.6 times a week for 3.7 weeks and lasts for 16.2 minutes each treatment. The average distance for indirect moxibustion was 3.4 cm (ranged from 2 to 5 cm) away from the acupoints. First-degree and superficial partial thickness burns, deep partial thickness burns, and full thickness burns were present in 16, 59, and 7 cases, respectively. Most of the burns were minor burns, with diameter less than 2 cm (69 cases). The most common sites were the lower extremities (46 cases), followed by abdomen (29 cases) and upper extremities (5 cases). The average cost for inpatients and outpatients was 5 164 and 2 192 RMB, respectively. Majority of moxibustion-induced burns are minor burns, and there is a high probability of the burn being deep if it occurs in the lower extremities.