Pediatric Burns Care

Burns is a significant public health issue. A burn is an injury to the skin or other organic tissue produced by heat, although it can also be caused by radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction, or chemical contact. Heat burns occur when a hot liquid (scald), a hot solid (contact burn), or a flame destroys part or all of the skin’s layers of cells (flame burn). Skin injuries produced by UV radiation, radioactivity, electricity, or chemicals, as well as lung damage from smoke inhalation, are all examples of burns. All types of pediatric burns or injuries are treated at Getwell Hospital & Research Institute.

How can a burn get better?

It’s critical to follow these measures while dealing with a mild burn:

Antibacterial soap should be used to wash hands thoroughly.
To relieve pain and swelling, apply cool, not cold, water to the injured region.
Cleanse the afflicted area with water and a light soap.
If there is no hole in the skin, apply an antibiotic ointment.

More than 265 000 people die each year as a consequence of flames alone, according to WHO estimates, with more deaths owing to scalds, electrical burns, and other forms of burns for which data is not available. The bulk of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with the WHO South-East Asia Region accounting for over half of all deaths.

Burn injuries affect around 7 million individuals in India each year, resulting in 1.4 lakh fatalities and 2.4 lakh persons becoming disabled. In high-income countries, the number of people dying from burns has been declining.

In contrast to other injury patterns, where males have higher damage rates than females, burns have similar rates in both genders. Females are more in danger from open fire cooking or hazardous cookstoves, as well as loose clothes. Burn injuries can also be caused by self-directed or interpersonal aggression.

Children, like adult females, are susceptible to burns. Women and children account for four of the five burn victims. Burns is the fifth most frequent nonfatal pediatric injury and the eleventh most prevalent cause of mortality in children aged 1 to 9. Burns claims the lives of the most vulnerable individuals on the planet: newborns.

Burns is also a primary source of morbidity, with millions of survivors suffering from long-term impairment and deformity, as well as mental distress and humiliation. It is possible to avoid burns. Increased efforts in prevention and care would lead to a significant reduction in burn-related morbidity, mortality, and disability.