Epidemiology of emergency department visits for burn injuries in the United States, 2014-2023

Burn injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality. By better understanding the epidemiology and seasonality of such injuries, burn education and prevention efforts can be improved. The purpose of this investigation is to provide an update to the epidemiology of burn injuries in the United States (US).

This retrospective study analyzes data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from 2014 to 2023. The NEISS collects data on emergency department visits from approximately 100 hospitals throughout the US. Data were analyzed using R version 4.4.3. to calculate annual burn estimates, injury rates, frequencies and acute periods of increased incidence.

Between 2014 and 2023, emergency departments in the US treated an average of 206,856 burn injuries annually. These injuries occurred mainly in the home (66.8 %) and in males (53.1 %), with a peak incidence in children under 5 (20.6 %). This study found no significant increasing or decreasing trends in incidence over time; however, burn injury incidence and associated products fluctuated based on season, with an increased incidence occurring around July 4th.

Burn injuries significantly affect the US population. Public health and primary care workers may utilize information provided by this study to better target patient education on burn injury prevention.