title: [Public hospital emergency department visits due to burns in Brazil, 2009].
abstract: The objective was to analyze the characteristics of burn injuries treated in emergency departments (ED) and associated factors. This was a cross-sectional study of 761 ED visits collected through the National Injury Surveillance System in 2009. The majority of patients were males (58.6%), and the most prevalent age brackets were 30-49 years (23.1%) and 0-4 years (23%). Most burns occurred at home (62.1%), especially among females and children, and in commerce/services/industry/construction (19.1%), mainly among males 20-49 years. Work-related burns comprised 29.1% of the overall sample. Alcohol use prior to the injury was reported in 5.1% of cases. Causal agents across all age brackets were: contact with hot substances (43.6%) and exposure to fire and flames (24.2%); among the economically productive age groups, association with chemicals substances was common. Burns in children 0-14 years were associated with injuries at home, contact with heat and hot substances, and subsequent hospitalization; burns in the 15-49-year bracket were associated with exposure to fire/flames and electrical current, injuries occurring in public places, and outpatient treatment and discharge. The study highlights the importance of burn prevention strategies targeting children and workers.
authors.affiliation: Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization, Washington, DC 20037-2895, USA. gawry@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Vilma Pinheiro
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Gawryszewski
authors.forename: Regina Tomie Ivata
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Nilza Nunes da
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Otaliba Libânio de
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Morais Neto
authors.forename: Marta Maria Alves da
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Márcio Dênis Medeiros
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: Naíza Nayla Bandeira de
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Sá
authors.forename: Rosane Aparecida
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Deborah Carvalho
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Malta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult