Hot beverage burns: An 11-year experience of the Yorkshire Regional Burns Centre

A retrospective study was performed at the Yorkshire Regional Burns Centre from 1994 to 2004 inclusive to determine the changes in treatment and clinical outcomes of patients admitted with hot beverage burns and the effect of changes in referral patterns over this period. Although children under the age of 3 years accounted for 77.5% of all cases of hot beverage scalds, this injury was represented in all age groups. Children from 1 to 2 years of age had the highest incidence of this injury. Changes in referral patterns over this period resulted in a decrease in the mean total body surface area of injury, an increase in the number of admissions and an increase in the time interval from injury to admission to the Burns Centre for this period. The total body surface area given by referring facilities was oftentimes inaccurate, as reported previously by this Burns Centre. The introduction of Biobrane in 2002 was effective in reducing the length of hospitalisation for patients with superficial partial thickness burns. Hot beverage burns remain a significant public health problem deserving of continuing efforts to maintain public awareness.