[French epidemiological survey of burns in children under 5 years of age]

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.

[Epidemiology of home accidents in childhood: experience in the Division of General Pediatrics in Southern Tunisia]

Les accidents domestiques représentent un problème sérieux de santé publique en pédiatrie. Ils sont responsables d’une lourde morbidité et mortalité parmi la population pédiatrique. Nous avons mené une étude rétrospective colligeant 231 cas d’accidents domestiques chez l’enfant au Service de Pédiatrie de l’Hôpital Hédi Chaker de Sfax durant une période de 5 ans (2008 - 2012). Durant la période d’étude, nous avons colligé 231 cas d’accidents domestiques. Il s’agissait de 124 garçons (53,7%) et 107 filles (46,3%). L’âge moyen était de 2 ans avec des extrêmes de 1 jour et 14 ans. Les enfants âgés de moins de 4 ans étaient les plus exposés (88,7%). Les intoxications accidentelles étaient les accidents les plus fréquents (105 cas). Les caustiques étaient les agents toxiques les plus fréquents (33 cas), suivis par les médicaments (28 cas) puis les hydrocarbures (16 cas). Les accidents par corps étrangers ont représenté le deuxième mécanisme accidentel (64 cas). Il s’agissait de 43 cas d’inhalation de corps étrangers et 21 cas d’ingestion de corps étranger. Nous avons enregistré 28 cas de traumatismes; il s’agissait d’une chute d’une certaine hauteur dans 25 cas. Nous avons recensé 26 cas d’envenimations scorpioniques, 5 noyades, 2 cas de brulure et un seul cas d’électrisation. Les intoxications accidentelles et les accidents par corps étrangers représentent les principaux accidents domestiques dans notre série et la tranche d’âge entre 1 et 4 ans est la plus exposée aux accidents domestiques.

[Ambulatory treatment of burns in children]

A majority of burns in children may have an ambulatory management for which the paediatrician has an important role. He must assess the severity of the burn by quoting extent, depth and localization of the burn injuries and then send the most severe to a specialized burn centre. The circumstances and the social situation are important in the decision of either hospitalization or ambulatory care, remembering that the burn may correspond to child abuse. The treatment consists of initially refreshing the burn to limit the extension, then washing the lesions using topical antiseptic soap, finally applying standard silver sulfadiazine cream. Local care is accomplished daily the first few days, then every three days to follow the healing and to keep a watch on possible complications such as infections or failure to heal, which must be treated in burn units. Pain relief treatment is an important part of the management.