Epidemiological description of burns trauma in a childrend hospital. Manizales (Colombia) 2004-2005

Background. Burns have become an increasing problem of public health, in developping countries.. Objetive. To identify the epidemiology of burns trauma in the population that consults to the emergency room in children hospital “Rafael Henao Toro” of Manizales the city between 2004 and 2005 years. Materials and methods. A retrospective descriptive study was made based in the revision of 439 clinical histories, evaluating the of age, sex, social security, origin, geographic area, cause, depth, seriousness, percentage, and corporal area concerned. Results. Burns happened in patients of one year old (21,6%), masculine genre (59%) predominated. Most of the patients did not have social security, corresponding to 52,2%. 44,9% of patients living in the city. The main etiology were hot foods in 194 patients (44,2%). Burn of first degree in 78.1% was the most frequent, with moderate seriousness in 314 patients (71,5%). The most frequent corporal burned extension was of 2% in 15,3% of the total of the studied population, while the corporal region of greater commitment was the superior member in 111 patients (25,3%). The average of hospitalization was 11,99 days. Conclusions. Burns trauma was of greater frequency in children under, five years old, caused by hot foods, in superior member, and of moderate seriousness.