Children Younger Than 18 Years Treated for Nonfatal Burns in US Emergency Departments

Abstract

This study investigated children <18 years old treated for burns in United States (US) emergency departments from 1990 to 2014 using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. There were 2 548 971 children treated for burns during the study period, averaging 101 959 annually. The number and rate of burns decreased by 30.0% and 38.9%, respectively, (both P < .001) during the study. Most patients (58.4%) were boys, 64.0% were <6 years old, and 7.4% were admitted to the hospital. Thermal burns accounted for 60.2% of injuries. The hand/fingers were most commonly injured (37.1%), followed by head/neck (19.6%). The most common specified mechanism of injury was grabbing/touching (18.4%), followed by spilling/splashing (16.4%). Although the number of children treated for burns has decreased, it remains an important source of pediatric injury, demonstrating the need to increase prevention efforts, especially among young children. This is the first study to use a nationally representative sample to investigate burn mechanisms.