Childhood burns in camping and outdoor cooking accidents: a focus for prevention.
We have seen increasing numbers of children who present with serious burns related to camping and outdoor cooking, prompting this 5-year review. Of 34 children (21 boys and 13 girls), with an average age of 5.2 years (4 months to 17 years) and average burn size of 15% (1% to 98%) cared for (4 as outpatients and 30 as inpatients), there was one fatality (3%). Mechanisms of injury included falling into free pits, throwing flammables into grills or pits, placing hands on hot objects in or near a fire, walking or falling into hot embers from an extinguished fire, spills from insect repellant candies, tent fires, burning of paper eating utensils, and cooking scalds. We have initiated a directed prevention program with the regional state park systems.
Sheridan
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Shriners Burns Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Hoey
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Daley
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Lybarger
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D000056:Accident Prevention; D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002165:Camping; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003296:Cooking; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies