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Pediatric burns in low-income countries: An example from Somalia
1Department of Nursing, University of Health Sciences, Gulhane Faculty of Nursing, Ankara-Türkiye.
Insights
Pediatric burn data from Somalia shows hot water as the leading cause. Effective management can prevent mortality in children, even in low-income settings, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Epidemiology
- Global Health
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Epidemiological data is crucial for developing pediatric burn prevention strategies in low- and middle-income countries.
- This study addresses the lack of such data in Somalia, a low-income nation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric burn patients hospitalized in Mogadishu, Somalia.
- To provide foundational data for burn prevention and intervention strategies in a low-resource setting.
Main Methods:
- Observational retrospective study of 140 pediatric burn patients.
- Data collected from November 2022 to April 2024 at a hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia.
- Analysis included patient demographics, burn etiology, severity (Total Body Surface Area - TBSA), and outcomes.
Main Results:
- The study included equal numbers of males and females with a mean age of 4.96 years.
- Hot water (75.7%) was the most common burn cause, followed by open flame (15.7%).
- Most burns were superficial second-degree (50.7%), with a mean TBSA of 16.2%. Children aged 0-4 years had a higher proportion of severe burns. No mortality was observed, with anemia being the most common complication (37.1%).
Conclusions:
- This is the first epidemiological data on pediatric burn admissions in Somalia.
- Effective burn management can eliminate mortality in pediatric burn cases, even in low-resource settings.
- Targeted burn injury prevention training is recommended in high-incidence areas.
Background:
Epidemiological data are needed to develop pediatric burn prevention strategies and guide interventions in low-and middle-income countries.
Methods:
In this observational retrospective study, the characteristics of 140 consecutive pediatric patients who were hospitalized and treated for burns at the Burns Unit of a hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, between November 2022 and April 2024 were analyzed.
Results:
The patients included 50% males and 50% females, with a mean age of 4.96+-4.07 years. The most common burn etiologies were hot water (75.7%), open flame (15.7%), and hot oil (8.6%). Burns involving two or more anatomical regions were observed in 44.2% of the cases. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) affected was 16.2+-10.42% (min: 4%, max: 90%). Superficial second-degree burns were present in 50.7% of the patients, and deep second-degree burns in 28.6%. No statistically significant relationship was found between gender and burn degree, burn percentage, or burn etiology (p>0.05). Analysis by age group revealed a statistically significant but weak association (24%) between the 0-4 years age group and burn degree. This was attributed to a higher proportion of more severe burns in children aged 0-4 years compared to those aged 5 years and older. The most common complication was anemia (37.1%), and no mortality was observed. The average hospital stay was 24.1+-27.8 days (range: 2-179 days).
Conclusion:
This study presents the first epidemiological data on in-patient pediatric burn cases in Somalia, a country classified as low-income. The risk of mortality can be eliminated if effective burn management is provided in pediatric burn cases, even in low-resource countries. These findings support the expectation of survival in major pediatric burns. Nurses and all healthcare professionals share responsibility for the protection and promotion of health. Therefore, training on burn injury prevention strategies should be targeted and implemented in areas where the incidence is high.
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