Citation

Redlick F, Cooke A, Gomez M, Banfield J, Cartotto RC, Fish JS. J. Burn Care Rehabil. 2002; 23(5): 351-6; discussion 341.

Affiliation

Women's College Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4N 3M5.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.BCR.0000028568.13443.27

PMID

12352138

Abstract

Elderly burn patients suffer from greater morbidity and mortality than younger patients with similar burn extents. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for burn injuries in the elderly to develop an effective preventive program. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 20 elderly (> or =65 years of age) burn survivors on the circumstances surrounding their burn injury and on burn prevention. A control group of 20 nonburned elderly completed a similar survey only on burn prevention. The majority of burned subjects believed that their injury was preventable (85%). The home was the commonest location for burn injury (70%), and scalds (50%) and flame burns (25%) were the most common etiologies. Most subjects felt that a burn prevention program would be useful (95%) and television, news, and posters were the preferred sources of prevention information. Compared with the burn group, the control group had more risk factors for burn injury. However, the control group also took more active preventive measures. Burn prevention campaigns for elderly should focus on reducing flame and scald burns that occur in the home, preferably using television, news, and poster media.