title: Characteristics of adult scald burn patients-a single center study in western Kanagawa Prefecture.
abstract: Burns sustained in bathtubs are a social and medical problem in Japan, especially among the elderly. Between October 2003 and March 2009, 22 adult scald burn patients (men, 17; average age, 65.3 ± 21.2 years) were transferred to Tokai University. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of these patients, and compared clinical parameters among patients with burns sustained in a bathtub (n = 10) and those with burns sustained due to other causes (n = 12). The average percentage total body surface area (%TBSA), dermal and deep burn area, and abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) were 27.6 ± 23.8, 19.9 ± 20.5%, 7.8 ± 13.1%, and 7.7 ± 3.1, respectively. All patients in the bathtub burn group were elderly, 6 developed internal diseases, 3 had alcohol-related burns, and 4 died. Additionally, their %TBSA and ABSI were higher than those of the non-bathtub burn group patients. Burns sustained in bathtubs were more severe than those sustained due to other causes. The bathtub-related burn patients were elderly, and their burns were extensive and deep; hence, they were at a higher risk of developing internal diseases. Thus, introduction of safer bathing styles and bath systems will decrease incidences of bathtub-related burns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara City, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. morita@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higami
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagiwa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akieda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001494:Baths / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult