Prevalence of Acute Pediatric Burns in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Pediatric burn injuries represent a major global cause of mortality and morbidity, particularly in developing nations.
• A significant proportion of these injuries are preventable, often occurring in domestic environments.
• Understanding the local prevalence and characteristics of pediatric burns is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of acute pediatric burns within a hospital setting.
• To identify the demographic characteristics, etiologies, and circumstances surrounding pediatric burn injuries.
• To inform public health initiatives and clinical management of childhood burns.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive cross-sectional study analyzed secondary data from pediatric burn admissions between 2016 and 2018.
• Data were collected from a tertiary care hospital following ethical approval.
• Statistical analysis included calculating point prevalence with 95% Confidence Intervals and descriptive statistics for demographic and injury-related factors.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of acute pediatric burns in the hospital setting was 29.71% (95% CI: 24.85-34.57).
• The majority of affected children were males (53.47%) and toddlers (38.61%).
• Scalding (53.47%) was the primary cause, with most injuries (75.25%) occurring indoors. The mortality rate was 10.89%.

Conclusions:

• While the hospital prevalence of pediatric burns was lower than in many countries, the associated mortality rate was notably higher.
• The findings underscore the critical role of household-level burn prevention strategies.
• Enhancing the availability of emergency medical services for childhood burns nationwide is recommended.