Epidemiological analysis and preventive strategies of pediatric burns inpatients in a Hangzhou hospital from 2020 to 2022: a retrospective study

Abstract

Objective The epidemiological characteristics of pediatric burn inpatients in our hospital over the past three years were analyzed to provide some advice for prevention and treatment strategies. Methods Data from 728 pediatric burn inpatients younger than 14 years of age admitted to our unit between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019, were collected. Age, gender, injury condition, injury factors, injury time, postinjury treatment and prognosis were analyzed. Results The proportion of children in the 1–3 age group was the highest (457 patients, 62.8%). 161 burn injuries (22.1%) occurred at a single site, and 567 burn injuries (77.9%) occurred at two or more sites at the same time. The burn sites from the most to least common were the trunk, upper limb, lower limb, head, face and neck, hip and perineum. The burn area was mostly between 5%-15% of the total body surface area (TBSA) (433 patients, 59.5%), the burn depth was mostly shallow (Ⅱ° to deep Ⅱ°) (405 patients, 55.6%), and the severity was mostly moderate (470 patients, 64.6%). Hydrothermal scald (673 patients, 92.4%) was the main injury factor in this group, followed by flame burn (32 patients, 4.4%). With increasing age, the proportion of hydrothermal scald gradually decreased, and the proportion of flame and other causes of burns gradually increased; these differences were statistically significant (х2= 47.471, P < 0.01). There were 672 burn cases in the household (92.3%) and 56 burn cases in outdoor and public places (7.7%). The proportion of outdoor and public burn injuries in rural children was greater than that in urban and suburban children. The daily peak burn times were 11:00–13:00, 17:00 and 20:00, and the monthly peak burn times were May, July and October, respectively. There were only 183 patients (25.1%) who received regular cold therapy after injury. Clinical outcomes were significantly different between patients who received reasonable treatment and those who did not (Z = 3.439, P < 0.01) and between those who received rational treatment and those who received irrational treatment (Z = 2.040, P < 0.05). Among the pediatric burn inpatients discharged with complete healing of the II° wound, the hospital stay of the children covered with acellular dermis was significantly shorter than that of the children in the conventional dressing change group (t = 3.646, P = 0.004). Conclusion Pediatric burns often occurred at 1–3 years of age, and most of the children had Ⅱ° combined deep burns. Indoor hydrothermal scald was the main injury factor, and regular cold therapy was not widely used. Early application of acellular dermis covering II° wounds can accelerate wound healing and reduce the length of hospital stay.