Abstract
BACKGROUND: Burns represent a relevant public health problem worldwide, occurring at all ages, particularly affecting children. The severity of the injury associated with burns can vary from mild to severe, requiring different levels of care, making it difficult to understand the magnitude of this phenomenon. The aim of the study is to describe the characteristics of burns that occurred at home using emergency departments of the National Health Service in 2023, and to understand their associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out, with an analytical component of the data collected through the EVITA monitoring system, which is part of the European Injury Database. To assess the associations, we performed Pearson’s Chi-square test in the bivariate analysis and logistic regression in the multivariate analysis, estimating odds ratios (OR). A significance level of 5% (p < .05) was considered. RESULTS: In this study 1 206 episodes of admission to the Emergency Department due to burns at home were analyzed. The majority of burns were observed in children and young people up to 19 years of age (34.1%) and in females (56.5%). Burns did not occur uniformly throughout the day; in the population up to 64 years old, they were more frequent in the afternoon and evening (54.7%). The likelihood of children up to 4 years of age being treated in the emergency department due to a burn that occurred at home was 6.97 times that of the group aged 75 years or older (OR = 6.97; 95% [4.77, 10.17]). The OR estimate point in the relationship between burns and sex was OR = 1.74; 95% CI [1.45–2.08]. Burns at home occurring between 17:00-23:00H had the highest odds (OR = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.53–2.88) compared to those observed during the early morning hours. CONCLUSIONS: Burns affect the population differently depending on age, sex, period of time in which they occur and the associated activity. These results show the need for prevention measures adapted to this reality. KEY MESSAGES: • Home injuries disproportionately affect the children and the elderly. • The continued study of this topic appears useful for designing prevention interventions as well as preparing responses at different levels. TOPIC: Burns, Children and young people, Emergency Department