Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Author Spotlight: A Multi-Depth Porcine Model for Comprehensive Study of Burn Injuries and Healing Processes
Published on: February 23, 2024
Epidemiology and first aid measures in pediatric burn patients in northern China during 2016-2020: A single-center
Tian Liu1,2, Yirui Qu3, Jiake Chai1
1Senior Department of Burns & Plastic Surgery The Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital Beijing China.
Insights
Pediatric burn and scald injuries are most common in children under 3, occurring in winter at home. Proper first aid, especially cooling measures, can reduce injury severity and healthcare costs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric trauma care
- Burn epidemiology
- Public health
Background:
- Burn and scald injuries represent a significant cause of trauma, with pediatric cases forming a substantial portion.
- Understanding pediatric burn epidemiology is crucial for improving prevention strategies and public health education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric burn patients treated at a single burn center.
- To identify risk factors and effective first aid measures for pediatric burns.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 1,527 pediatric burn patients admitted between January 2016 and December 2020.
- Analysis of demographic and epidemiological data using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Main Results:
- Children under 3 years old were most vulnerable; injuries predominantly occurred in winter at home.
- Only 1.8% received gold-standard first aid, though 56.6% received some form of first aid.
- Cooling measures in first aid were associated with reduced injury severity and better clinical outcomes, including fewer operations and shorter hospital stays.
Conclusions:
- Early cooling measures in first aid significantly reduce pediatric burn severity and associated healthcare burdens.
- Enhanced education on burn prevention and first aid for caregivers, particularly for preschoolers, is essential.
Background And Aims:
Burn and scald injuries are the fourth most common type of trauma. Pediatric burns account for a high proportion of the total number of burn patients and impose a high burden on public health. Understanding the epidemiology of pediatric burns can help improve science education and reduce the incidence of burn injuries.
Methods:
This study is a single-center retrospective study. One thousand five hundred and twenty-seven pediatric burn patients admitted to our burn center from January 2016 to December 2020 were included. Demographic and epidemiological data of included patients were extracted and analyzed. The correlations of categorical data were tested by the Chi-square tests, and differences of continuous data were tested by the Kruskal-Wallis tests. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Results:
The results showed that children under 3 years of age were most susceptible to burn and scald injuries. Burn injuries were most likely to occur in the season of winter and at the place of home. 56.6% of included patients did receive first aid measures, while 1.8% received gold-standard first aid. Clinical variables related to the severity of injuries were statistically different between patients with and without cooling measures in first aid. Linear regression models showed that emergency treatment of burns in children and adolescents was associated with outcome indicators, including number of operations, total operation duration per total burn surface area (TBSA), cost per TBSA, and length of stay per TBSA.
Conclusions:
This study summarized the epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric burn patients admitted to a burn center in northern China. Adopting cooling measures in first aid can reduce the severity of injuries and reduce the burden on the medical system. Education on burn prevention and first aid measures to caregivers of children, especially preschool children, should be strengthened.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Burn Injuries
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
01:22Methods of reducing fever
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever: