Pediatric burns in military hospitals of China from 2001 to 2007: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND Childhood burns are a global health problem. To date, no epidemiological study with a large sample size of hospitalized pediatric burn patients from the Chinese mainland has been conducted. This study retrospectively analyzed pediatric burn cases to identify the characteristics of pediatric burns and their risk factors in China. METHODS Data for pediatric burn inpatients younger than 14 years were retrieved from the Chinese Trauma Databank (CTDB). The epidemiological characteristics of pediatric burns and risk factors for mortality were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 61,068 cases were included in the study. Children under 3 years old were at the highest risk of injury. Scalds were the commonest burns (87.59%). Flame burns occurred more in winter, and electrical burns occurred mainly in July and August. Age, etiology, depth of injury, total body surface area (TBSA), site of injury, and outcome were correlated with length of hospital stay. Risk factors for pediatric burn mortality included being male, having third degree burns, ≥30% TBSA, and having multi-site burns. CONCLUSION The results showed the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric burns in China, which differ from those reported for other countries and regions. These characteristics can be used to develop measures to prevent pediatric burns.