Abstract
Purpose
Hand and finger burns represent a relatively common occurrence in children, and serious injuries may require surgical intervention to prevent long-term disability. This study examines the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric patients presenting for emergency care of hand and finger burns within the United States (US).
Methods
We report a cross-sectional study of patients reported to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019. Patients were included in our study if they were younger than 18 years old and evaluated for an isolated hand or finger burn. United States census data from the same period were utilized for determining epidemiological estimates of injury incidence
Results
During the 10-year study period, an estimated 300,245 pediatric hand and finger burns were treated in 778,497,380 person-years: an incidence rate of 38.6 burns per 100,000 person years. Most treated burns occurred in the 1- to 2-year age group (28.3%) with an approximate 50% reduction in incidence for each 1-year age stratum until stabilizing at 6 years. Most burns occurred in white children (58%), but Black children had a higher incidence than white children when corrected for US population (45.15 burns versus 21.45 burns per 100,000 person-years). The most common etiology was a stove or oven (1595/10420; 15%).
Conclusions
Pediatric hand and finger burns occurred most frequently in young children from the oven and/or stove. We urge that parents be assertively counseled about potential burn risks to their young children’s hands and fingers, especially once they reach ambulatory age.
The Equivalence of United States Census Data for Persons of Russian Stock or Descent with American Jews: An Evaluation