Epidemiology of Unintentional Burns attending Emergency Departments: Insights from EVITA System 2023

Background

Unintentional burns represent a significant global cause of illness and death, particularly among children under four years of age, although they affect individuals in all age groups. In Europe, paediatric populations account for a high proportion of burn, particularly among males aged 0-5 years (56-65%) (6,7). The elderly population also experiences increased vulnerability, with burns occurring more frequently among older women than men (55-58%).

Objectives

To enhance existing knowledge on the epidemiology of unintentional burns treated in hospital emergency departments in Portugal.

Methods

Data from the EVITA surveillance system for 2023 were analysed, including all recorded unintentional burn injuries nationwide. The EVITA system is a health observation tool that monitors Home and Leisure Accidents. For the inferential analysis, a logistic regression model was applied to assess factors associated with victims who suffered an accident requiring emergency department services.

Results

In 2023, EVITA documented 1 489 cases of unintentional burns in Portugal. The majority were caused by scalds (59.8%) and occurred in the home setting (85.2%). Nearly 34% of burns occurred in children and young people up to 19 years, and 19% occurred in children under 4 years old. Burns were most frequent on Saturdays for those under 4 years old (18.2%), Fridays for those aged 5 to 14 (17.4% and 25.7%) and Sundays for those aged 15 to 19 (22.1%). Burns occurring between 9:00 a.m. and 15:59 p.m. (OR = 1.59; 95% CI [1.32–1.91]) and between 16:00 and 23:59 p.m. (OR = 1.77; 95% CI [1.47–2.13]) compared to the period from 00:00 to 8:59 a.m. had higher odds. The highest proportion of burns resulting in hospitalization was observed in younger children under 4 years old.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the need to reinforce burn-prevention strategies in Portugal, particularly targeting young children, household environments, and scald-related injuries.

Key messages

• Designing effective prevention measures depends on a solid understanding of burn epidemiology, which is also crucial for improving healthcare responses.

• The EVITA system provides the necessary information for the characterization of burns.