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Author Spotlight: A Multi-Depth Porcine Model for Comprehensive Study of Burn Injuries and Healing Processes
Published on: February 23, 2024
Pediatric burns: Key insights from cohort of 325 patients
Atul Parashar1, Somesh Thakur2, Renu Sharda2
1Department of Plastic Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India. atulparashar@hotmail.com.
Insights
Pediatric burns, common in India, cause disability and financial strain. Prevention through public awareness of risk factors is crucial to reduce childhood burn injuries and their impact on families.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Injury Research
- Public Health and Prevention
- Epidemiology of Childhood Injuries
Background:
- Pediatric burns are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing nations like India.
- These injuries can result in lifelong disability, impacting a child's psychosocial well-being and imposing financial burdens on families.
- The mental health of siblings is also adversely affected by childhood burn incidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric burns.
- To assess the psychosocial and economic consequences of burns on affected children and their families.
- To inform the development of effective management and prevention strategies for these avoidable injuries.
Main Methods:
- An observational study was conducted over 20 months at a tertiary care teaching hospital.
- Pediatric patients under 15 years were evaluated for demographics, injury circumstances, burn type, supervision, severity, and outcomes.
- Data included hospital stay, surgical interventions, mortality, behavioral changes, and financial/sibling impact.
Main Results:
- The majority of burns (63.4%) occurred in children under 5 years; scalds were the most common cause (55.07%).
- Flame and electric burns were more prevalent in older children (5-15 years).
- Early presentation with <50% Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burns correlated with better outcomes; parents lost an average of 27.77 working days, and siblings lost 20.59 school days.
Conclusions:
- Most pediatric burns stem from preventable causes.
- Increased public awareness regarding burn risk factors and prevention is essential.
- Effective prevention strategies can significantly reduce pediatric disability and family financial burdens.
Background:
Burns are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in children, especially in developing countries like India. Unless fatal, burns can lead to lifelong disability, affecting social and psychological well-being of the child. It further exacerbates the financial strain on parents and adversely impacts the mental well-being of siblings.
Aim:
To understand the epidemiological profile as well as the psychosocial and economic impact of burns on patients and their families which may help us to devise strategies to manage and prevent these largely avoidable injuries.
Methods:
An observational study was conducted at tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of 20 months in which pediatric burn patients of age less than 15 years of age were evaluated. Demographic profile, circumstances of injury, type of burns (scalds, flame burns, electric burns), adult supervision at the time injury, time lapse and condition of patient at initial reporting, severity of burns, length of hospital stay and stay in intensive care unit, surgical procedures performed, outcome, deaths, adverse behavioral changes, financial impact on parents and impact on siblings were studied.
Results:
Majority of pediatric burns enrolled in the study were below 5 years of age (63.4%). Male (59.7%) to female (40.3%) ratio was 1.5:1. Scalds were the most common cause in all ages (55.07%). Flame burns (28.6%) and electric burns (16.3%) were more common in older children between age group 5-15 years. Patients who presented early with total body surface area burnt less than 50% had better outcomes. Mean loss of number of working days of parents in our study was 27.77 ± 13.07 days. Most common behavioral alteration reported in patients was irritability and anger (5.18%). Mean number of losses of school days for siblings was 20.59 ± 14.72 days. Multiple behavioral changes were observed in the siblings.
Conclusion:
Majority of pediatric burns are caused by preventable factors. Public awareness regarding risk factors and preventive strategies can go a long way in reducing both pediatric disability as well as financial impact on the family.
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