Epidemiology of hospitalized burns patients in Taiwan
Introduction
Burn injuries are not among the leading causes of injury-related deaths in Taiwan, but do count among the most costly of non-fatal injuries suffered by people in that country. Previous studies from Taiwan based mainly on either single hospital data [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] or specific group sampling, such as of children or workers [3], [5], [6], [7], have provided only limited epidemiological information concerning burns patients and the circumstances in which injuries were received. A comprehensive data collecting system, the Burn Injury Information System (BIIS), sponsored by the Childhood Burns Foundation of The Republic of China, was established in 1997. Contracted with 34 of the 36 burns centers/burns units in Taiwan, the system is capable of providing a highly representative picture of the epidemiology of burns patients in Taiwan.
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Materials and methods
Data from hospitalized burns patients were downloaded from BIIS over a 2-year period from July 1997 to June 1999. Patient characteristics (e.g. age, gender), causes and severity of injuries, and medical care measures were examined. Data concerning patient literacy was also analyzed. In Taiwan, children under 7 years of age do not go to primary school and are usually taken care of by their parents. For this age group the level of schooling of the parents was analyzed. People aged over 18 years
Age and gender
A total of 4741 patients were registered with BIIS during the 2-year study period. The median age of burns patients was 29.2 years with a range of 3 days to 87 years. The most frequently hospitalized burned patients were children under 5 years of age who accounted for 21.8% of patients. Adults between the ages of 35 and 44 years (17.4% of patients) accounted for slightly more patients than the remaining age groups. The study population consisted of 3176 males and 1565 females, giving an overall
Discussion
In the present study, the age of the 4741 burns patients showed a double-peak distribution which corresponded to the pediatric group aged under 5 years and the adult group aged 35–44 years, respectively. The double-peak age distribution implies different types of burns for children and for adults. For children, scalding was the predominant burn type and accounted for 88.4% (915/1035) of cases. Scalds resulted largely from hot drinking liquid such as water (386/1035) and hot soup (329/1035). In
Conclusions
This study provides a comprehensive overview of hospitalized burn patients in Taiwan. Children under 5 years of age and adults 35–44 years of age are two groups identified to be at high-risk of receiving burn injuries. The most common hours where such injuries occur are from 10:00 to 12:00 h and 16:00 to 18:00 h, which correspond to meal preparation times in Taiwan. Hot substances such as boiling water, hot soup, etc. are the most common agents linked to scald injuries. Prevention programs for
Acknowledgements
The study was funded by Childhood Burn Foundation of The Republic of China.
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