title: Burns in patients with epilepsy: changes in epidemiology and implications for burn treatment and prevention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiology of burns in patients with epilepsy and to identify changes in epidemiology compared with previous studies; to identify further strategies that can be used in the primary and secondary prevention of such injuries in this group of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective case note review of 111 patient episodes to a regional burns unit where the admission criterion was a burn secondary to an epileptic seizure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority (60 of 111) of burns were due to scald injury and were sustained in a domestic setting. This group of patients (mean age, 42.7 years) accounted for 1.6% of admissions during the study period. The data demonstrate a change in the epidemiology when compared with previous studies. Most burns were small (mean area burnt, 2.2%) but deep, and 72 of 111 patient episodes required surgery, and 12% of patients had reburn injuries requiring readmission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scald injuries are now the major cause of burns in those with epilepsy, and the proportion of such patients admitted to a regional burns unit has reduced. Patients and health professionals need to be aware of such injuries and of appropriate prevention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Welsh Regional Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, Swansea, Wales.
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Josty
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Narayanan
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Dickson
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002053:Burn Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries