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Published on: February 23, 2024
Epidemiological characteristics of paediatric burn patients in China from 2016 to 2019: a retrospective study
Kun Chen1, Jing Liu1, Xinyu Wang2
1Department of Burn & Plastic Surgery, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Young boys aged 1-2 years are most vulnerable to hydrothermal scald burns in China. Early prevention of complications like pneumonia is crucial for pediatric burn care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Epidemiology
- Child Injury Prevention
- Public Health
Background:
- Paediatric burn research in China has been limited to small-scale, single-centre studies.
- Understanding epidemiological characteristics is vital for child burn injury prevention and improving care quality.
- Large-scale, multicentre data analysis is needed to inform effective public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric burn injuries using a large, multicentre database in China.
- To identify key risk factors and patterns associated with paediatric burns.
- To provide data for enhancing child protection, improving care quality, and reducing healthcare costs.
Main Methods:
- Extracted data from 6741 paediatric burn cases (2016-2019) from the Futang Research Center of Pediatric Development database.
- Collected epidemiological data including patient demographics, burn causes, complications, seasonality, hospitalisation duration, and costs.
- Utilized a multicentre approach involving 23 children's hospitals across China.
Main Results:
- Male gender (63.23%) and ages 1-2 years (69.95%) were predominant.
- Hydrothermal scalds accounted for the majority of injuries (80.57%).
- Pneumonia was the most frequent complication (21%), with variations across age groups. Burns peaked in spring (26.73%), and treatment duration/cost depended on burn cause and surgical intervention.
Conclusions:
- Boys aged 1-2 years, characterized by high activity and low self-awareness, are at increased risk for hydrothermal scalds.
- Complications, particularly pneumonia, require focused attention and proactive prevention strategies in paediatric burn management.
- This study provides crucial insights for targeted interventions and improved outcomes in paediatric burn care across China.
Background:
Epidemiological characteristics of paediatric burn can help to protect children from burn injuries. Most of the previous studies have been conducted on small scale and single centre in China. This study analysed the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric burn using a large-scale and multicentre database from 23 children's hospitals in China to increase child protection against burn injuries, improve the quality of care and reduce hospitalisation costs.
Methods:
Excerpted information from medical records of 6741 paediatric burn cases was extracted from the Futang Research Center of Pediatric Development database from 2016 to 2019. The epidemiological characteristics of patients, including gender, age, cause of burn injuries, complication, the timing of hospitalisation (season and month) and hospitalisation length and cost, were collected.
Results:
Male gender (63.23%), aged 1-2 years (69.95%), and hydrothermal scald (80.57%) were significantly dominant among cases. Furthermore, complications were significantly different among groups with different age of patients. Pneumonia was the most common complication (21%). Meanwhile, most paediatric burn occurred in spring (26.73%), and hospitalisation length and cost significantly depended on the cause of the burn injuries and surgical intervention.
Conclusions:
This large-scale epidemiological study of paediatric burn in China revealed that boys aged 1-2 years with higher activity and lack of self-awareness are more likely to suffer from burn injuries by hydrothermal scald. In addition, complications, especially pneumonia, need attention and early prevention in paediatric burn.
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