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Hand burns in children under 5 years of age
W A Zamboni1, M Cassidy, E Eriksson
1Division of Plastic Surgery, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield.
Insights
Scald burns are the most common cause of hand injuries in children under five. Most burns heal well, but some require intervention, with few long-term functional issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Care
- Hand Surgery
- Epidemiology of Childhood Injuries
Background:
- Hand burns in young children present unique challenges in terms of epidemiology and functional outcomes.
- Understanding the causes and patterns of these injuries is crucial for effective prevention and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the epidemiology and functional results of hand burns in children under five years old.
- To identify common burn etiologies, affected body areas, and functional recovery patterns.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 92 pediatric patients (126 hand burns) admitted to a Burn Center.
- Analysis of burn type, total body surface area (TBSA) burned, anatomical location, depth, and interventions.
- Assessment of functional outcomes at long-term follow-up.
Main Results:
- Scald burns were most frequent (49%), followed by flame (34%).
- The majority of burns involved both palmar and dorsal surfaces (48%) and multiple joints.
- Partial thickness burns generally healed with normal or near-normal hand function.
Conclusions:
- Hand burns in young children are often caused by scalds and can be severe, requiring interventions like grafting and escharotomies.
- While most partial thickness burns result in good functional recovery, vigilance for potential developmental delays is warranted.
Abstract:
In order to evaluate the epidemiology and functional results of hand burns in young children, 92 consecutive patients (126 hand burns) under age 5 years admitted to a Burn Center were reviewed. Scald burns (49 per cent) were most common, followed by flame (34 per cent), contact (14 per cent) and electrical burns (3 per cent). The child was left unattended by an adult in 53 per cent of cases and documented abuse was present in 6 per cent. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 17 per cent, and 77 patients (85 per cent) had additional burns in other areas (arms 34 per cent, legs 31 per cent, chest 29 per cent and face 27 per cent). Palmar burns occurred in 24 hands (19 per cent), dorsal in 41 (33 per cent), while both surfaces were burned in 61 (48 per cent). Joints involved included the MP in 96 (76 per cent), PIP in 87 (69 per cent) and DIP in 80 (63 per cent). The depth was superficial partial thickness in 53 (47 per cent), deep partial in 55 (44 per cent), and full thickness in 18 hands (14 per cent); a total of 29 hands were grafted (15 deep partial and 14 full thickness). Escharotomies were required in 12 hands (9 per cent) (9 flame and 3 scald) and partial amputation of digits was required in 3 (2 per cent). Follow-up was available in 46 hands from 7 to 120 months (mean 39 months). Partial thickness burns (34) healed with normal (32) or near-normal (2) hand function and developmental delay occurred in one patient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)