Major burn injuries among restaurant workers in New York City: an underappreciated public health hazard.
Major burns among food service workers appears to be an underappreciated source of morbidity and public expense in New York City. A retrospective study was conducted to identify workers requiring hospital admission over the past 3 years. Seventy-six restaurant workers (3.8% of all adult admissions) were identified. They averaged 33 years of age, and sustained burns with a mean %TBSA of 12.5, resulting in a mean length of stay of 12.8 days. Scalds predominated, with water/coffee burns most common (n = 29), followed by oil (n = 27), and soup/sauce burns (n = 12). Burns to the extremities occurred in 97% of patients. Surgery was required in 32 of 76 patients (42.1%). Oil burns were more likely to require surgery than aqueous scalds (59 vs 34%; P < 0.01). Hospitalization expenses averaged $1.13 million dollars per year. There were no mortalities. Restaurant-related major burns are a frequent occurrence, particularly scald injuries. Hospital care and further disability result in enormous publicly funded expenses. The morbidity and lost wages are a severe detriment to workers and their families. Greater public health awareness measures are warranted.
Suzman
M S
MS
The William Randolph Hearst Burn Center, Departmen tof Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
Sobocinski
K
K
Himel
H
H
Yurt
R W
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002053:Burn Units / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002056:Burns / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012147:Restaurants / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices