Genital burns in the United States: Disproportionate prevalence in the pediatric population. Issue 5 (August 2018) - Tresh, Anas
Highlights: Genital burns affect the pediatric population at a disproportionate rate. Scalds and hot water were the most common mechanism and causative agent of injury. Multi-surface, thermal and scalding burns were predictors of hospitalization. Males were three times as likely to suffer from genital burns. Abstract: Introduction and objectives: To describe the epidemiology of genital burns in the U.S. and investigate the underlying etiology. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried for individuals who sustained genital burns from 2000 to 2016. We collected data on age, gender, injury diagnosis, disposition, and causative agents. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine predictors of hospitalization. Results: We estimate 17, 026 (95% CI 16, 649–17, 404) cases of genital burns presented to emergency departments nationally. Genital burns occurred more in males than females (12, 295 vs 4, 731). Scalding (57.9%) was the most common mechanism of injury and hot water (35.7%) the most common causative agent. Significant predictors of hospitalization on multivariate analysis were multi-surface (OR 4.4), scalding (OR 11.5) and thermal burns (OR 27.9). Children ages 0–2 had the highest prevalence of genital burns, and children ages 0–12 comprised 37.1% of the study. For children <5 years of age, majority of the burns were caused by hot water in the bathroom. In age group 6–12, the most common causes of genital burns were cooking-related scalds due to hot foods and water. Conclusions: Children sustain genital burns at a higher rate than adults and many appear to have a preventable mechanism. Improved product design for safety and educating caregivers about potential hazardous situations are needed.