The causes, cost, and prevention of childhood burn injuries.
In 1985, fire and/or burn injuries killed 1461 children aged 0 to 19 years in the United States; an estimated 23,638 children were hospitalized and 440,000 were treated for burns. More than 101,000 life years were lost. A "cost of burn injury" model suggests a dollar value of societal losses from childhood burn deaths and injuries at approximately $3.5 billion. Very young children (0 to 4 years) dying in house fires accounted for 47% of these deaths. Preventing fire deaths through residential sprinklers, smoke detectors, fire-safe cigarettes, and child-resistant lighters would prevent more than three quarters of all childhood fire/burn deaths. While interventions exist for tap water scalds, solutions to the problems of "kitchen" scald and gasoline-involved flame burns are less apparent.
McLoughlin
E
E
San Francisco Injury Center for Research and Prevention, San Francisco General Hospital, CA 94110.
McGuire
A
A
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D026712:Value of Life