title: A prospective observational study investigating all children presenting to a specialty paediatric burns centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the mechanism of injury and outcome of all children who presented to The Stuart Pegg Paediatric Burns Centre (SPPBC) with a burn injury in the year 2013. A detailed proforma was completed prospectively at time of presentation to hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the one year period, 758 children with a median age of 2 years 3 months presented with a burn injury. Overall, 12.7% of patients (n=96) were initially treated as inpatients. Similarities existed between in and outpatients. Over half the children admitted had a scald injury (53.1%). Whilst slightly higher than the outpatient scald rate of 43.1% there was no statistical significant difference. However, there was a significant difference between inpatients and outpatients with respect to other mechanisms of injury. Contact burns were under represented in inpatients (27.1%) compared to outpatients (44.5%), p<0.05. In contrast, flame burns were over represented in inpatients, 11.5% compared to outpatients, 2.9% (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paediatric burns are a common cause of childhood injury. The majority of children present with small to medium sized partial thickness injuries and are managed as outpatients. In order to understand the true impact of paediatric burn injury and to develop appropriate targeted injury prevention campaigns, data repositories must include detailed information regarding outpatient paediatric burns.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: k.stockton@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stockton
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia; Stuart Pegg Paediatric Burns Centre, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kimble
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Burn injury; Outpatient; Paediatric