Epidemiological features of minor-burns in an urban-region: 
Experience of our burn center
Ayşe Ebru Abalı, Cem Aydoğan, Dilsah Ersoz, Emre Karakaya, Gökhan Moray ,
 Mehmet Haberal 
Burn Fire Disasters Institude, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey
Introduction: Present study sought to investigate features of urban minor-burns, treated at our burn-center which is located at the capital of our country. Methods: Subjects were 3023 minor-burn victims who lived in urban-region(study period: 2003-2016). Study-group was divided into two subgroups according to ages; GroupI:18-year-old+younger (n=1354), GroupII:19-year-old+older (n=1669). Data collected were ages; sexes; occupation status; social-security status; methods of home-heating; burn-causes; extents of burns; body-sites affected; day-time intervals and seasons in which the injury occurred; stories of the events, time intervals between injuries and admissions (TIIA); numbers of other medical-center admissions before our burn-center. Results: Mean age: 25,7±0,42(min:0,max:91), Male/female ratio: 0,62/1. Mean TBSA burned: 2,5±0,6%(min:0,5,max:30). Preschool children comprised 37,8%(n=1142), adults in workforce comprised 26,1%(n=789). Other occupation-groups were students(16,6%,n=502), housewives(11,8%,n=357) and retired-adults(7,7%,n=233).  Most were insured by social-security-system(95,1%,n=2875). Most lived at centrally-heated homes(94%,n=2842). The most common burn-cause was scalds(75,1%,n=2180). All burn-causes were more frequent in groupII except contact-burns(p<0.05). Hands were the most common body-sites affected (31,1%,n=941). Higher rates of hand-burns were observed in groupII(59,8%), higher rates of head-burns(52,3%) and neck-burns(60,5%) were observed in groupI(p<0.05). Only 2% of injuires occurred between 00:00-06:00 hours, 76,3% of which were in groupII. 55% of injuries occurred in spring/summer(n=1684). The most common environment in which injury occured was the home(81,5%,n=2463); outdoor-burns were more frequent in groupII(p<0.05). Injuries occurred due to hot food/drinks, heating-devices, electrical-devices, automobile-devices, unsafe self-care, unsafe entertainment-activities, and addictions. Mean TIIA was 2,03±0,1days(min:0,max=30). Median number of other medical-center admissions before the burn-center was 1±0.014(min:0,max:5). Rates of direct admissions to our burn-center were higher in groupII(p<0.05). However, higher numbers of groupI patients have been admitted on the day of injury(p<0.05). Discussion-conclusions: Our data revealed that epidemiological features of minor-burns in urban-regions differ in adults and children. They are useful for establishment of preventive strategies for injuries which cause significant loss of urban-workforce and quality of life.

Epidemiological Features of Minor-Burns in an Urban-Region: Experience of a Burn Center