Characterization of Burns in Pediatric Patients at the University Hospital of Neiva, Colombia, Between 2015 and 2019

Caracterización de quemaduras en pacientes pediátricos del Hospital Universitario de Neiva, Colombia, entre 2015 y 2019.

Objective. to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients treated in the pediatric service of the Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo University Hospital in Neiva (HUHMP), a reference center in southern Colombia, between January 2015 and December 2019.

Methodology. Observational, descriptive, retrospective study in which patients under 14 years of age who presented burns were included.

Results. A total of 461 patients were included of which the most affected were in the age group 0-2 years (46.85%). 84.82% occurred in the home, with boiling liquid (71.37%) being the most frequent cause of burns. In terms of severity, grade II burns were the most common (93.49%) most of which were less than <10% of the total body surface area (67.03%). Only one case of mortality occurred in a patient with grade III burns, with an extension greater than 30% of the total body surface area (TBS). There was a statistically significant association between the variables age and presence of complications (p<0.015), with a higher frequency of complications in the preschool and school age group (56.6%), followed by infants (35.58%).

Conclusion. Burns in the paediatric population occur most frequently in children aged 0 and 2 years, with scalding liquid burns being the most frequently observed cause.  In most cases the severity is mild and hospital stay is short.