Pediatric Burn Injuries: Risk Factors for Increased Mortality

Area of Science:

• Pediatric surgery
• Trauma research
• Public health

Background:

• Burn injuries are a leading cause of unintentional death in children.
• Limited research exists on mortality disparities in pediatric burn injuries, particularly concerning nonaccidental burns.
• Understanding risk factors is crucial for improving outcomes in pediatric burn patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors associated with mortality in pediatric burn injuries.
• To characterize the patient population with severe burn injuries.
• To investigate disparities in burn injury mortality among children.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database (2017-2019).
• Identified pediatric burn patients (≤14 years old).
• Analyzed demographics, insurance type, and physical abuse descriptors to assess mortality risk factors using multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Overall mortality was low (<1%) in 13,472 pediatric burn patients.
• Burns to multiple body regions, older age groups (5 to <10 years), and Black race were independent risk factors for mortality.
• Nonaccidental burns showed twice the mortality of accidental burns; government insurance was common among deceased patients.

Conclusions:

• Key mortality risk factors in pediatric burns include Black race, multiple affected body regions, and nonaccidental injuries.
• This study highlights increased mortality risk in older pediatric burn patients, differing from previous findings.
• Addressing nonaccidental burns and racial disparities is critical for reducing pediatric burn mortality.