Epidemiology of Burns in Korea from 2010 to 2014

PURPOSE: The epidemiology of burns in Korea has been sporadically reported in the treatis based on data from one burn center or hospital. The nationwide epidemiological study for burns in the Korea is scarce. It is necessary to establish the national medical plan for providing the specialized burn care for burn victims, burn prevention and burn safety for publics. METHODS: This study is done based on the burn patients data receiving medical treatment, from the Korea National Health Insurance Service during 2010~2014. We reviewed the following issues; the average annual burn incidence, and tendency of burn occurrence in every year, sex distribution of burn patients, the yearly numbers of pediatric burn patients, incidence of specific-age pediatric burn patients, incidence of burns by specific-age group, and prevalent sites of burns. RESULTS: 1) The average annual burn patient is 545,462 in 2010~2014. The average annual incidence of burn patients per 100,000 population is 1,091. The total annual numbers of burn patient is gradually increasing in tendency. 2) Male and female sex ratio is 39 (the mean 214,832 male burn patients per year): 61 (the mean 330,630 female burn patients per year). 3) The average pediatric burn patient (1~15 age) is 123,934 and it consists of 22.7% of the average annual burn patients during 2010~2014. 4) The most prevalent age of pediatric burns revealed at the age of 1 (21.7%). The incidence of burn patients of 1~2 age occupy 38.4% of the total pediatric burn patients. 5) The four age group-specific burn incidence are classified as pediatric group (0~15 age) 22.7% (123,934 patients), adolescence-middle age group (16~39 age) 32.3% (176,288 patients), middle-old age group (40~74 age) 41.9% (228,427 patients), super old age group (over 75) 3.1% (16,813 patients). 6) The mean yearly burn sites was 567,200. Among them, the most prevalent site of burn was hand (32.8%), and followed by upper extremities (13.5%), lower extremities (13.4%), face (10.5%), foot (10.1%), trunk (6.6%). the unspecified area and etc (13%), respiratory tract (0.1%). CONCLUSION: Based on the data from the Korea National Health Insurance Service, the average annual burn incidence is mean 545,462 burn patients during 2010~2014 in Korea, and revealed increasing in tendency. This epidemiological data can be attribute to providing the specialized burn care to domestic burn victims, and to establish the plans for burn prediction and prevention, and burn safety.

Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis in Korea: Analysis by Using National Statistics

We attempted to investigate the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in Korea by using national statistics. Data on AD patients who received medical service at least once a year from 2003 through 2008 were collected from health insurance research team of National Health Insurance Corporation. Data of estimated populations during the same period were obtained from the Statistics Korea. In 2008, the prevalence of AD was 26.5% in aged 12-23 months and decreased substantially to 7.6% at age 6 yr, 3.4% at age 12 yr and to 2.4% at age 18 yr. In males, the prevalence was higher than females until 2 yr of age, while the opposite was shown in children aged 2 yr or older. In children aged less than 24 months, the prevalence of AD has increased from 19.8% to 23.8% between the years 2003 and 2008, while the prevalence showed no increase in the older age group. In conclusion, the prevalence of AD in 2008 peaked during infancy up to 26.5% and decreased thereafter. Our findings also suggest that increasing prevalence of AD in children less than 24 months might be responsible for the recent increase in the prevalence of AD in Korean children.