Pediatric Oral Electrical Burns: Incidence of Emergency Department Visits in the United States, 1997-2012

Objectives

To investigate the epidemiology of emergency department visits for pediatric patients presenting with electrical burns to the mouth.

Study Design

Cross-sectional analysis of a national database.

Setting

National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Database.

Subjects and Methods

The Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was used to derive a national weighted estimate of emergency department visits for oral electrical burns and was queried for each patient's age, sex, race, local of incidence, disposition, and related consumer product.

Results

There were an estimated 1042 emergency department visits for pediatric oral electrical burns from 1997 to 2012, or an average of approximately 65.1 cases per year. A total of 59.6% of patients were male. Nearly half of emergency department visits involved patients <3 years of age, and more than three-fourths of emergency department visits involved patients <5 years of age. A total of 77.2% of patients were examined, treated, and released from the emergency department, while 19.2% were admitted to the hospital. Most injuries involved electrical outlets or receptacles (10.8%), extension cords (18.5%), and electrical wires (21.5%).

Conclusion

Earlier incidence estimates of pediatric oral electrical burns varied substantially within the literature and varied from small case reports to single-year studies. Our multiyear data analysis provides evidence of decreasing annual incidence when compared with historical estimates for a common but potentially morbid injury among the pediatric population.

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