Injury Pattern Analysis to Optimize Burn Injury Prevention in the Unhoused Community.

Unhoused patients are an overrepresented group in burn injury, and are a uniquely vulnerable population. Current research focuses on the consequences of homelessness on burn outcomes, with little known about the specific circumstances and behaviors leading to burn injury that may represent specific targets for injury prevention efforts. The burn registry at an urban regional burn center was queried for burn admissions in unhoused adults from 2019 to 2022. Registry data pulled included demographics, urine toxicology, mechanism of injury, and injury subjective history. Subjective injury history was reviewed to determine more specific injury circumstances and activities during which accidental burns occurred. Demographic and mechanistic trends in burn admissions were explored via descriptive statistics. Among 254 admissions for burns from the unhoused community, 58.1% of patients were positive for stimulants on admission. Among accidental injuries (69.7%), common circumstances included preparing food or beverages, cooking or using methamphetamine, smoking cannabis or tobacco, bonfires, and candles. A specific common circumstance was lighting a cigarette while handling accelerants (6.7%). Interventions for stimulant abuse, as well as outreach efforts to educate unhoused patients about situational awareness, safe handling of accelerants, safe smoking practices, and safe cooking practices, may be effective tools in reducing burn admissions in this vulnerable population.

[Expert consensus on the treatment of second-degree burn wounds (2024 edition) â ¡: surgical treatment and infection prevention and treatment].

Second-degree burns are the most common type of burns in clinical practice and hard to manage. The treatment needs not only to consider the possible different effects of dressing change or surgical treatment itself, but also requires the evaluation of many factors such as burn site, ages of patients, and burn area. At present, there are no unified standards or specifications for the surgical procedures of wound treatment, as well as infection diagnosis and grading of second-degree burn wounds, which seriously affects the formulation of clinical treatment plans. The consensus writing group developed the Expert consensus on the treatment of second-degree burn wounds (2024 edition) Ⅱ: surgical treatment and infection prevention and treatment based on evidence-based medical evidence and combined with expert opinion. This expert consensus put forward 29 specific recommendations from two aspects: surgical treatment and infection prevention and treatment of second-degree burn wounds, aiming to form a standardized clinical treatment plan for second-degree burns.

Aetiology of bioethanol related burn accidents: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Since insight into the motivation of behaviour in bioethanol related burn accidents is lacking, this study aimed to qualitatively examine influencing factors in bioethanol related burn accidents. In order to identify target points for effective burn prevention. METHODS: Patients previously admitted with bioethanol related acute non-intentional burn injury to the three Dutch burn centres were eligible. One interviewer conducted fourteen semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and coded by two independent researchers. Conclusions were drawn based on generalised statements on the concerned topics. RESULTS: Four overall themes in influencing factors were found, namely 1) motivation; including non-designated use and impaired judgement, 2) knowledge and education; including unknown product and properties and information overload, 3) risk perception; including poor recognisability of risks and preferred trial and error and 4) thresholds; including easy availability and unclear liability. CONCLUSION: Trust in consumers may be over-estimated, as proper use cannot be expected. To prevent future bioethanol related burn incidents, thresholds for obtaining and using bioethanol should be increased, safe alternatives to ignite open fires and wood stoves should be provided and knowledge and warnings should be improved.

Scalding saline injuries: Preventing a rare but serious event in medical litigation.

This study aimed to investigate the causes, outcomes, and compensation amounts of saline-induced perioperative burns, a rare but entirely preventable event. Saline-induced burns pose a significant risk to patients, and understanding the factors associated with such incidents is crucial for improving patient safety. Previous studies highlighted the use of hot saline bags and solution during medical procedures as a potential cause of these burns. A retrospective analysis of cases involving perioperative saline-induced burns was conducted using the Westlaw and Lexis Nexis legal databases. Eight relevant cases were identified and analyzed to determine the causes, outcomes, and compensation amounts. Hot saline bags used for positioning and hot saline solution were identified as the primary causes of saline-induced burns. Out of the eight cases analyzed, four resulted in a favorable verdict for the plaintiff, three cases were settled, and one case was in favor of the defense. Compensation amounts ranged from no monetary compensation to over one million dollars. This study highlights the need for increased awareness among medical professionals regarding the risks associated with saline-induced burns, and the importance of implementing guidelines for the safe use of hot saline bags and solution. Together these measures can hopefully mitigate the occurrence of these preventable incidents, improve patient safety, and reduce medicolegal exposure.

No lockdown for pediatric burns.

BACKGROUND: The health crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented situation in France: complete lockdown. The population had to live confined with their families, which often meant that parents telecommuted while caring for their children. However, daily risks remained more than ever at the forefront. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiology of burns among children during three different periods of family time: school time, vacation, and lockdown. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted at Tours University Hospital. All pediatric surgical emergency room visits recorded from February 10, 2020 to March 31, 2020 were included. The three aforementioned periods were assessed. RESULTS: During lockdown there were significantly more burns compared to other injuries (p = 0.004). Preschool-age children suffered significantly more from burns during the same period (p = 0.029). There were no significant differences for nursery school (p = 0.522), primary school (p = 0.519), middle school (p = 0.613), and high school (p = N) children. CONCLUSION: This study underlines the need to establish a targeted prevention campaign geared toward a complicated geopolitical situation a pandemic that might occur again.

Effectiveness of prevention programmes on the rate of burn injuries in children: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Burns are a frequent injury in children and can cause great physical and psychological impairment. Studies have identified positive effects of prevention measures based on increase in knowledge or reduction in hazards. The main goal of burn prevention campaigns, however, is to prevent burns. Therefore, this review is focused on the effectiveness of prevention programmes on the rates of burns in children. METHODS: A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus, including a reference-check. Included were studies which evaluated burn prevention programmes in terms of burn injury rate in children up to 19 years old. Studies specifically focused on non-accidental burns were excluded as well as studies with only outcomes such as safety knowledge or number of hazards. RESULTS: The search led to 1783 articles that were screened on title and abstract. 85 articles were screened in full text, which led to 14 relevant studies. Nine of them reported a significant reduction in burn injury rate. Five others showed no effect on the number of burn injuries. In particular, studies that focused on high-risk populations and combined active with passive preventive strategies were successful. CONCLUSION: Some prevention programmes appear to be an effective manner to reduce the number of burn injuries in children. However, it is essential to interpret the results of the included studies cautiously, as several forms of biases may have influenced the observed outcomes. The research and evidence on this subject is still very limited. Therefore, it is of great importance that future studies will be evaluated on a decrease in burns and bias will be prevented. Especially in low-income countries, where most of the burns in children occur and the need for effective prevention campaigns is vital.

Trauma and sexual abuse in children-Epidemiology, challenges, management strategies and prevention in lower- and middle-income countries.

Trauma is rising as a cause of morbidity and mortality in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This article describes the Epidemiology, Challenges, Management strategies and prevention of pediatric trauma in lower- and middle-income countries. The top five etiologies for non-intentional injuries leading to death are falls, road traffic injuries, burns, drowning and poisoning. The mortality rate in LMICs is twice that of High-Income Countries (HICs) irrespective of injury severity adjustment. The reasons for inadequate care include lack of facilities, transportation problems, lack of prehospital care, lack of resources and trained manpower to handle pediatric trauma. To overcome these challenges, attention to protocolized care and treatment adaptation based on resource availability is critical. Training in management of trauma helps to reduce the mortality and morbidity in pediatric polytrauma cases. There is also a need for more collaborative research to develop preventative measures to childhood trauma.

Quemaduras del pabellón auricular: membrana amniótica frente a cura oclusiva para prevención de condritis / Burns of the auricular pavillion: amniotic membrane versus occlusive cure for chondritis prevention

Introducción y objetivo: Prevenir la condritis es un pilar importante en el tratamiento de las quemaduras del pabellón auricular teniendo en cuenta que, en la actualidad, no existe un protocolo de manejo frente a esta patología y sus posteriores complicaciones. El presente estudio pretende analizar la literatura disponible acerca del manejo de las quemaduras auriculares y comparar el uso de membrana amniótica frente a la cura oclusiva en un grupo de pacientes con quemadura en pabellón auricular para prevenir la deformidad de oreja en coliflor como secuela. Material y método: Revisión de la literatura sobre las diversas formas de tratamiento de las quemaduras auriculares y estudio en un grupo de pacientes de la Unidad de Quemados de la Subred Integrada de Servicios en Salud Norte E.S.E. UHMES Simón Bolívar de Bogotá, D.C., Colombia, con quemaduras en pabellones auriculares a los que se les aplicó membrana amniótica para cubrir las lesiones con el fin de disminuir el riesgo de condritis y la consecuente deformidad en coliflor, entre otras complicaciones. Resultados: De la revisión de la literatura obtenemos una comparativa del uso de tratamientos conservadores frente a quirúrgicos y en el estudio sobre pacientes tratados con membrana amniótica observamos una importante disminución en la respuesta inflamatoria local, dolor, frecuencia de curaciones y por lo tanto, menor estancia hospitalaria. Conclusiones: Nuestro trabajo aporta revisión bibliográfica y experiencia propia comparativa de interés para la prevención de la condritis postquemadura auricular y contribuye a protocolizar el tratamiento de este tipo de lesiones a fin de evitar sus secuelas. Nivel de evidencia científica 4c Terapéutico.(AU)

Background and objective: Preventing chondritis is an important pillar in the treatment of burns of the auricular pavilion because, currently, there is no management protocol for this pathology and its subsequent complications. The present study aims to analyze the available literature on the management of auricular burns, and to compare the use of amniotic membrane versus occlusive treatment in a group of patients with burns in the auricular pavilion to prevent cauliflower ear. Methods: Literature review of the different ways of treatment for ear burns and study in a group of patients from the Burn Unit of the Integrated Subred of Health Services North E.S.E. Simón Bolívar (UHMES) from Bogotá D.C Colombia, with burns on the auricular pavilion to which amniotic membrane was applied to cover up the injuries in order to reduce the risk of chondritis and the consequent cauliflower deformity, among other complications. Results: From the literature review, we obtain a comparison between the use of conservative treatments versus surgical procedures and, in the study of patients treated with amniotic membrane, we observed a significant decrease in the local inflammatory response, pain, frequency of wound healing, and therefore, shorter hospital stay. Conclusions: Our study provides a bibliographic review and our own comparative experience, both of interest for the prevention of post-auricular burn chondritis and contributes to create protocols for treatment of this type of injury in order to avoid its sequelae.Level of evidence 4c Terapeutic.(AU)

A Regional Analysis of Potentially Preventable Injuries Sustained From Burning Garbage and Yard Waste.

Due to high prevalence in the south, understanding the injury pattern, healthcare burden, and cost of burn injuries associated with burning yard and trash debris are important for effective prevention. This 5-year retrospective, single-center study included patients sustaining an open flame burn injury due to burning brush or trash. Based on primary residence of the 136 patients, 56% had access to free municipal waste disposal, 25% could have had access with additional payment, and 18% did not have access. The median (Q1 and Q3) age and total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 50 (32, 66.5) years and 5% (2.5, 12), respectively, with 36% having some portion of full-thickness injury. One-third had some form of substance use. There were 151 total operations with a median of 1 (0, 1.5) per patient. There were 1,620 hospital days utilized (~6.6% of available bed-days per study period). Twenty-five percent were discharged with a paired functional status worse than pre-injury. Patients with some degree of pre-injury function limitations had a 3-fold higher length of stay (10 vs 3 days; P = .023). Patients with lower pre-injury functionality had almost four times higher mortality (23.7% vs 6.3%; P = .085). There were 9 (6.7%) deaths with an average (±SD) of 74.3 ± 13.1 years of age, median of 33% (31, 43) TBSA, and median full-thickness TBSA of 32% (21, 44). Total hospital charges exceeded $32.6 million with a median of $32,952.26 ($8,790.48, $103,113.95) per patient. Focusing future outreach efforts on education and resource availability may prevent future waste-burning injuries.

Burns: Why give special attention to adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean from a primary health prevention perspective? / Quemaduras: ¿por qué prestarles especial atención a los adolescentes en América Latina y El Caribe desde un enfoque de prevención primaria en salud?

The existing evidence on burns in the underage population has focused mainly on children under ten years, leaving behind the age group defined as "adolescents" by the World Health Organization. However, adolescents present their own characteristics that differentiate them from their younger counterparts. These differences are relevant from a primary prevention perspective, focusing on preventing illness or injury. In this context, this article reflects on why adolescents need special attention in the primary prevention of burns in Latin America and the Caribbean. First, burn scenarios in adolescents are often linked to participation in risky activities due to pressure, social desirability, or low perception of the associated risks. Second, it is essential to emphasize that adolescents may experience social vulnerability, which entails a higher risk of suffering an intentional or unintentional burn. Third, the risk of burns in adolescents may be related to mental health and self-harm scenarios. These aspects need to be investigated through both quantitative and qualitative studies to design and implement primary prevention strategies relevant to this population group in the region.

La evidencia existente en materia de quemaduras en población menor de edad a nivel global se ha enfocado principalmente en niños y niñas menores de 10 años, dejando atrás al grupo etario definido como "adolescente" por la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Sin embargo, la etapa de la adolescencia presenta características propias que la diferencian de los rangos etarios menores con respecto a las quemaduras. Estas diferencias son relevantes desde una perspectiva de prevención primaria, la cual se centra en evitar la enfermedad o lesión. En este contexto, el presente artículo reflexiona en torno a los motivos por los cuales es necesario prestarles especial atención a las y los adolescentes en el marco de la prevención primaria de las quemaduras, con relevancia para Latinoamérica y El Caribe. Primero, los escenarios de quemaduras en adolescentes muchas veces se vinculan con la participación en actividades de riesgo por presión, deseabilidad social o baja percepción de los riesgos asociados. Segundo, es importante recalcar que los adolescentes pueden experimentar vulnerabilidad social, la cual los puede exponer al riesgo de sufrir una quemadura intencional o no. Tercero, el riesgo de quemaduras en adolescentes se puede asociar con la salud mental y escenarios de autolesión. Se requiere indagar en estos aspectos, tanto a través de estudios cuantitativos epidemiológicos como de estudios cualitativos, para poder diseñar e implementar estrategias de prevención primarias relevantes para este grupo de población en la región.

Content Quality of Web-Based Short-Form Videos for Fire and Burn Prevention in China: Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Web-based short-form videos are increasingly popular for disseminating fire and burn prevention information, but their content quality is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically assess the characteristics, content quality, and public impact of web-based short-form videos offering primary and secondary (first aid) prevention recommendations for fires and burns in China between 2018 and 2021. METHODS: We retrieved short-form videos offering both primary and secondary (first aid) information to prevent fire and burn injuries published on the 3 most popular web-based short-form video platforms in China: TikTok, Kwai, and Bilibili. To assess video content quality, we calculated the proportion of short-form videos that included information on each of the 15 recommendations for burn prevention education from the World Health Organization (WHO; P1) and that correctly disseminated each recommendation (P2). High P1 and P2 indicated better content quality. To assess their public impact, we calculated the median (IQR) of 3 indicators: the number of comments, likes, and saves as a favorite by viewers. Chi-square test, trend chi-square test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test examined differences in indicators across the 3 platforms, years, content, and time duration of videos and between videos disseminating correct versus incorrect information. RESULTS: Overall, 1459 eligible short-form videos were included. The number of short-form videos increased by 16 times between 2018 and 2021. Of them, 93.97% (n=1371) were about secondary prevention (first aid) and 86.02% (n=1255) lasted <2 minutes. The proportion of short-form videos including each of the 15 WHO recommendations ranged from 0% to 77.86% (n=1136). Recommendations 8, 13, and 11 had the highest proportions (n=1136, 77.86%; n=827, 56.68%; and n=801, 54.9%, respectively), whereas recommendations 3 and 5 were never mentioned. Among the short-form videos that included the WHO recommendations, recommendations 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 were always disseminated correctly, but the other 9 recommendations were correctly disseminated in 59.11% (120/203) to 98.68% (1121/1136) of videos. The proportion of short-form videos including and correctly disseminating the WHO recommendations varied across platforms and years. The public impact of short videos varied greatly across videos, with a median (IQR) of 5 (0-34) comments, 62 (7-841) likes, and 4 (0-27) saves as a favorite. Short-form videos disseminating correct recommendations had larger public impact than those disseminating either partially correct or incorrect knowledge (median 5 vs 4 comments, 68 vs 51 likes, and 5 vs 3 saves as a favorite, respectively; all P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the rapid increase in the number of web-based short-form videos about fire and burn prevention available in China, their content quality and public impact were generally low. Systematic efforts are recommended to improve the content quality and public impact of short-form videos on injury prevention topics such as fire and burn prevention.

A Systematic Review of Pediatric Nonaccidental Burns: Protecting the Children Through Knowledge, Vigilance, and Prevention.

BACKGROUND: Inflicted burns on children are a particularly difficult medical and psychosocial issue. Pediatric nonaccidental burns (PNABs) are unfortunately relatively common. In our study, we aim to present the key findings on PNABs with the intention of raising awareness, improving early, and recognizing accurately by identifying red flags, developing triage tools, and establishing prevention strategies for this sensitive issue. METHODS: A computerized literature search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane for articles published until November 2020. The online screening process was performed by 3 independent reviewers with the Covidence tool against set inclusion/exclusion criteria. The protocol was reported using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol. The study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included for analysis. Scald burns via forced immersion accounted for the majority of reported PNABs affecting both feet and hands. Complications included wound infection, sepsis, requiring systemic antibiotics, or intensive care. Abused children's parents had a history of mental illness, unemployment, substance abuse, incarceration, and/or low annual income. CONCLUSIONS: Scalds via forced immersion remain the most common mechanism of PNABs. All health care professionals must remain vigilant, be able to recognize subtle signs of abuse, triage patients appropriately, report to police and/or social services, and ensure no further harm is made to the child or children. Repeated abuse with burns can lead to death. Prevention and education are the cornerstones for addressing this social phenomenon.

Burn Prevention in Spanish: Assessment of Content Accuracy, Website Quality, and Readability of Online Sources.

Burn prevention information may be inadequate or inaccessible to communities with non-English language preference. Our objective was to systematically analyze the content accuracy, website quality, and readability of online Spanish information for burn prevention in the home and compare it to English websites. We collected the top ten burn prevention results from a search on Google, Bing, and Yahoo using a list of Spanish key terms. Using recommendations from national organizations and a burn care expert team, content accuracy was evaluated for each website. We assessed website quality following the "Health on the Net" Code of Conduct. Readability was scored by averaging five validated readability tests for the Spanish language. After using the same protocol, a comparison was made with English websites as a control. Once duplicates and non-relevant search results were removed, 23 Spanish websites were assessed. Out of 21 possible points for content accuracy, the top website scored 14 (67%) and the average score was 6.6 (31%). For website quality, the average score was 50%. The average grade level needed to read the websites was 8.6. Compared to English, Spanish websites were less accurate (31% vs 41%), harder to read (9.8 vs 7.8), but were of higher website quality (50% vs 43%). Online burn prevention information in Spanish is often inaccurate, incomplete, and inferior to available English language websites. We propose a call to action to increase the quality of online burn prevention material available in Spanish.

Assessment of the proportion of households with burn victims, associated risk factors and knowledge of burn injury prevention strategies in South Western Uganda. A population based cross sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality within Low- and Middle-income countries (LMICs). Most of these burn injuries occur at home with children most at risk. The majority of burn related deaths and disability in LMICs have been described as preventable. Burns prevention requires adequate knowledge of the epidemiological characteristics and associated risk factors. The aim of this study was to assess the proportion of households with burn victims, the associated risk factors and knowledge of prevention strategies of burn injuries in Kakoba division, Mbarara city. METHODS: We did a population based cross sectional survey of households in Kakoba division. This is the most populous division in Mbarara city. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a pretested structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was performed to establish prevalence and knowledge of preventive strategies for household burns. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to establish the factors influencing burn injuries at household level. RESULTS: Of the households in Kakoba Division, 41.2% had individuals who had previously sustained burn injuries within the household. Children were the most affected population with scald burns the most common type. The highest risk of burn injuries was associated with overcrowding in the households. Electricity as a light source was found to be protective. Candles and Kerosene lamps were the commonest alternative light sources. Majority 98% of the individuals in the households knew at least one burns prevention strategy with 93% practicing at least one. CONCLUSION: Burns within the household are still high despite knowledge of risk factors with children being the most affected. Overcrowding still plays a significant role in household burn injuries. We therefore recommend closer supervision of children within the households. Cooking areas need to be properly designated and secured to limit access. Safer alternative light sources need to be explored such as solar lamps. Political leaders need to be involved in setting up and monitoring community-based fire safety practices to ensure compliance.

Validation of comic book about burn prevention and first aid for adults.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a comic book for the adult population about prevention and first aid for burns. METHOD: Applied quantitative research conducted at a university hospital, guided by the Social Cognitive Theory. A comic book was developed, followed by Content Validation with 12 experts and Semantic Validation with 30 adults. The Educational Content Validation Instrument in Health and Suitability Assessment of Materials were used for data collection and the analysis was carried out by Content Validity Index, with a minimum of 0.8. RESULTS: The final version has ten pages, both printed and virtual form. The overall agreement rate was 0.963 in content and 0.987 in semantics. The main adjustments were in the language and layout of the cover. CONCLUSION: The levels of agreement were satisfactory, determining the validity of the Comic Book, configuring it as a simple and accessible resource for health education about burns for adults.

Public perception of household risks for pediatric burn injuries and assessment of management readiness.

INTRODUCTION: Children are uniquely vulnerable to injury because of near-complete dependence on caregivers. Unintentional injury is leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. Burns are one of the leading causes of accidental and preventable household injuries, with scald burns most common in younger children and flame burns in older ones. Education is a key tool to address burn prevention, but unfortunately these injuries persist. Critically, there is a paucity of literature investigating adult comprehension with respect to potential risks of household burns. To date, no study has been performed to assess management readiness for these types of injuries without seeking medical care. METHODS: Qualtrics™ surveys were distributed to laypersons via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Demographics were self-reported. The survey was divided into two parts, management knowledge, and risk identification. The management part involved a photograph of a first-degree pediatric burn injury and required identification of the degree of injury and three potential initial managements. The risk-identification section required correctly identifying the most common mechanisms of burn injury for different age groups followed by general identification of 20 household burn risks. Survey responses were analyzed using two-tailed Student's t-tests and chi-square analyses, univariate and multivariate analysis, and linear regression. RESULTS: Of the 467 respondents, the mean age was 36.57 years, and was 59.7% (279) male. Only 3.2% of respondents were able to correctly identify all 20 potential risks listed in our survey. Additionally, only 4.5% of respondents correctly identified all three appropriate initial management options (cool water, sterile gauze, and over-the-counter analgesics) without misidentifying incorrect options. However, 56.1% of respondents were able to select at least one correct management option. For image-based injury classification, the most common response was incorrectly second-degree with 216 responses (42.2%) and the second-most common response was correctly first-degree with 146 responses (31.3%). Most respondents claimed they would not seek medical attention for the injury presented in the photograph (77.7%). When comparing the responses of individuals with children to those without, there were no statistically significant differences in ability to assess household risks for pediatric burns. For the entire population of respondents, the mean score for correctly identifying risks was 38%. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a significant gap in public awareness of household risks for pediatric burns. Furthermore, while most individuals would not seek medical care for a first-degree pediatric burn injury, they were readily available to identify proper initial management methods. This gap in knowledge and understanding of household pediatric burn injuries should be addressed with increased burn injury prevention education initiatives and more parental counseling opportunities.

Risk Factors of Cooking-related Burn Injury Among Under-Four Children in Northwest Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of cooking-related child burn injury. METHODS: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among a total of 5830 children with their respective caretakers in randomly selected 100 clusters. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors and adjusted odds ratios were used as measures of effect. RESULTS: The prevalence of cooking-related child burn injury was 6.2% (95% CI: 5.5-6.8). This burden was linked with risk factors such as lower literacy of caretaker, family size, using traditional cook stove, long cooking time, and presence of extra indoor burning events as well as lack of separate kitchen, child supervision, and injury prevention awareness. CONCLUSION: Children experience a high burden of burn injury. Thus, stakeholders should work to reduce this burden by controlling the aforementioned risk factors.

Developing an instrument to assess physician knowledge of initial care for burn patients.

INTRODUCTION: Burns are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries, such as Brazil, because there are no routine prevention programs, a lack of adequate legislation and supervision, and care quality in the acute phase is precarious. In most cases, initial care for burn patients is provided by emergency services without specialized personnel, which leaves the majority of cases to general practitioners who have no specific training in initial burn care, which can lead to worse prognoses and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument to assess physician knowledge of initial care for burn patients. METHODS: This primary quantitative study used the Delphi technique, which involves consensus from a panel of expert panel, as a methodological reference. The instrument was based on information provided in the Ministry of Health's booklet on emergency burn treatment, and an agreement index of 80% was required for item inclusion. RESULTS: After 3 Delphi phases, the instrument was approved by the panel with an agreement index of 100%. CONCLUSION: Although the instrument was finalized, other psychometric properties must still be assessed to further determine its validity and reliability.