Flammable liquid burns in children.
OBJECTIVE
To document and describe the effects of flammable liquid burns in children. To identify the "at risk" population in order to tailor a burns prevention programme.


METHODS
Retrospective study with information obtained from the departmental database of children treated at the burns centre at The Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane between August 1997 and October 2002.


METHODS
Number and ages of children burned, risk factors contributing to the accident, injuries sustained, treatment required and long-term sequelae.


RESULTS
Fifty-nine children sustained flammable liquid burns (median age 10.5 years), with a clear preponderance of males (95%). The median total body surface area burned was 8% (range 0.5-70%). Twenty-seven (46%) of the patients required debridement and grafting. Hypertrophic scars occurred in 56% of the children and contractures in 14%, of which all of the latter required surgical release. Petrol was the causative liquid in the majority (83%) of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The study identified the population most at risk of sustaining flammable liquid burns were young adolescent males. In the majority of cases these injuries were deemed preventable.
Henderson
Philip
P
Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, Belfast, UK.
Mc Conville
Helen
H
Höhlriegel
Nicole
N
Fraser
John F
JF
Kimble
Roy M
RM
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010578:Petroleum; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D010578:Petroleum