Average number of burn-injured patients admitted per month increased; peak in difference between 2019 and 2020 seen in July<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in burn injuries among children, especially school-aged children, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held virtually from Oct. 8 to 11.<\/p>\n
Amelia Collings, M.D., from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, and colleagues examined the impact of stay-at-home orders on the incidence of burn injuries in children using data from nine Level I pediatric trauma centers. Patients injured after implementation of the stay-at-home orders from March through September 2020 (COVID cohort) were compared to historical controls from March to September 2019.<\/p>\n
Data were obtained for 13,177 pediatric trauma patients, of whom 987 had burn injuries. The researchers observed a 48.6 percent increase in the total number of children with a burn injury in 2020 versus 2019 (590 versus 397); 94 percent of the burns were explained by unintentional injury. The largest difference in burn injuries between the two cohorts was seen for school-aged children. Over time, there was an increase in the average number of burn-injured patients admitted per month; the difference between 2019 and 2020 peaked in July. The proportion of children sustaining flame burns increased significantly in 2020 versus 2019 (26.1 versus 19.1 percent).<\/p>\n
“COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders inevitably created a new dynamic between children and their social environment. One result was the increased risk of burns those children experienced,” a coauthor said in a statement. “Understanding specific factors that contributed will be key in minimizing the risk of future burn injuries as we continue to navigate the pandemic environment.”<\/p>\n
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