Pediatric burns in the Bedouin population in southern Israel.
Burn trauma is an important public health concern, with increased risk for burns in children. A cross-sectional study was performed to describe the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for burns in hospitalized Bedouin children in Soroka University Medical Center during the years 2001-2002. In a population of 558 hospitalized burn-injured patients, 282 Bedouin children were identified. Two hundred and sixty five patients (94.0%) had burns involving less than 20% of the body surface area. Cause of the burns was scald in 190 patients (67.4%), fire in 80 patients (28.4%), chemical in 8 patients (2.8%), and explosion in 2 patients (0.7%). Two female patients (0.7%) aged 11 and 17 years died of their burns that were caused by fire. The mean length of hospitalization was 9.8 days. Pediatric burn injury has become a significant public health problem in the Bedouin population of the Negev. To reduce the burden of burn injury, it is necessary to increase current efforts in prevention of burns.
Clalit Health Services, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. arcohen@clalit.org.il
Arnon D
AD
Cohen
R
R
Gurfinkel
R
R
Glezinger
Y
Y
Kriger
N
N
Yancolevich
L
L
Rosenberg
D018912:Arabs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002056:Burns / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors