Epidemiology of Childhood Burns in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Lin Chao Cheng, 林釗正
• Other Authors: Pai Lu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/19191091678220230271

碩士 === 國防醫學院 === 公共衛生學研究所 === 89 === This study analyzed epidemiological characteristics of childhood burn injuries using Burn Injury Information System(BIIS) Database created by Childhood Burn Foundation of Republic of China. A total of 1569 under 18 years patients data, old were collected through BIIS during 2-year period(1997.7.1~1999.6.30). Objectives: 1.To understand the relationship between the following factors in burn children; age of the patients, gender, parents’ level of education, appropriateness of pre-hospital first-aid, place of occurrence, type of burns, total burns surface area, cost of hospitalization, areas of body affected, mortality, and geographic distribution of patients. 2.To analyze the relationship between the education level of the parents and the adequacy of the pre-hospital first-aid provided by the parents 3.To analyze the relationship between various risk factors and the severity of burns in children. Results: Comparing to the National Health Insurance Research Database, burn patients of BIIS seemed to be injured more seriously such that they had longer average length of stay, and a higher cost of hospitalization. In fact, more than sixty percent of BIIS patients suffered from medium level to severe burns. The high-risk groups including patients of one to two years old (30.4%), male gender (61.1%). The most common type of burns was scalding injury (79.4%), most of injuries took place at home (76.1%), and mostly occurred at twelve noon and at six o’clock in the evening. Adequate cold water flush treatment was associated with better prognosis. More than one third (34.2%) of patients in this study did not receive cold water flush as pre-hospital first aid at all. There was a positive association between the parents’ education level and using the cold water pre-hospital treatment. However , the least proportion of burns pre-treated with cold water were found among patients whose parents were graduated from general senior high school. Suggestion: Although burn injury first aid has been promoted for years, some preventive measure such as adequate cold water flush still needs to spread more. It would be feasible to include burn injury prevention program in general senior high school education.