Ethnic differences in burn mechanism and severity in a UK paediatric population

Background

Burns in children are a major public health problem with long-lasting physical and psychological sequelae. Previous studies have identified that children from ethnic minorities have higher rates of burns.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyse the differences in paediatric burn mechanism and severity within different ethnic groups.

Methods

Demographic and burn data from all paediatric patients presenting with burn at the Burns Service, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK were collected over a 5 year period.

Results

766 paediatric patients (age range: 7 days to 16 years old, mean: 4.5 years) were included in the study. Ethnic minority children had higher total body surface area of burn (p < 0.001) and length of stay (p < 0.001) compared with non-ethnic minority children. Chinese children had most burns from hot food (60%), whereas non-ethnic minority children had most burns from hot beverages (35.8%). Ethnic minority children were more deprived compared with non-ethnic minority children (Index of Multiple Deprivation 48.7 vs. 40.9; p = 0.02).

Conclusion

These results show that there are significant differences in the patterns of burns in ethnic minority groups. This data should guide targeted public health prevention and educational strategies.