Characteristics of thermal burns in children admitted to an Israeli pediatric surgical ward

Background: Reports of burn injuries in childre are usually made by highy specialized burn units. Our facility admits children with burns covering <20% total body surface area, while those with major burns are transferred to burn units at tertiary care facilities. Objectives: To review our experience with thermal burns. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all thermal burns admitted to our hospial during a 5 year period. Results: Among 266 patiens (69.2% boys) aged 3.5 ± 3.6 years, children < 3 years old were the most frequently injured (64.7%). scales (71.4%) were the most common type of burn. Partial thickness burns were sustained by 96.6% of children and TBSA burned was significantly prologned in girls (4.6 ± 4.8 vs. 3.5 ± 4.3 days, P = 0.01). Percent TBSA burned was correlated with patient age (r = 0.12, P=0.04)and length of hosptil stay (r = 0.6, P < 0.00001). Six patients (2.3%) (mean age 3.4 ± 2.3 years) were hospitalized in the Pediatric intensive Care Unit due to toxin-mediated illness. Conclusions: Children under the age of 3 years are at increased risk for burn injury, but older children sustain more extensive injuries. Prevention and awareness are needed for child safety.