Epidemiologic Features of Children with Burns Admitted to Imam Musa Kazem Hospital, Isfahan, Iran

Burns are among the most important accidents related to human health. They receive great attention due to severe complications and high mortality rate. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated accidents one of the most important health-related problems among which burns are the most common. They impose different physical, psychological, economical and social damages to patients, as well as their family and society. In this research, the epidemiologic characteristics of children with burns were studied to find effective policies to reduce and prevent burns. This retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed during 2 years (from April 2010 to March 2011) on 303 children with burns. All children aged under 15 years and were admitted to Imam Musa Kazem Hospital. Data was extracted from patient documents via a valid and reliable checklist. All principles of confidentiality and patient's rights were respected. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. Most cases of burns (56.9%) were 1-3 year–old children (mean age: 3.71). In addition, 69% of children were male and 31% were female. The majority of burns were caused by boiling water (59.7%). Urban children constituted 57.4% of the cases. The average hospitalization period was 10.8 days (range: 1-60 days). Most children had grade 2 injury (49.2%) and a burn surface area of 11-20% (34%). The highest average burn surface areas were seen in natural gas explosion cases (31.2%) and milk burns (29.2%). In most children, the trunk was injured (66.4%). Findings of this research showed the high risk age groups and the risk factors of burns in children in Isfahan, Iran. The most common causes of burns were boiling water and flame. In this study, we saw an increase in gas explosion burns compared to a previous study in Isfahan in 2000. Preventive programs are required to train parents of high risk children regarding safety issues. Officials and policymakers should adapt precautionary and safety policies in preparing gas tanks and gas-burning equipments. They must also allocate adequate human and financial resources to pay more attention to physical and psychological needs of injured children.