Elderly burn prevention: A novel epidemiological approach
| Autor: | Kim-Wai Yip, Vanessa Y. C. Choy, Judy S. Y. Ng, Tiffany T. L. Yau, Patricia Wong, Andrew Burd |
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| Rok vydání: | 2007 |
| Předmět: |
Male
medicine.medical_specialty Next of kin Poison control Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine Suicide prevention Occupational safety and health Age Distribution Epidemiology Injury prevention First Aid Humans Medicine Sex Distribution Aged Trauma Severity Indices business.industry Incidence Medical record General Medicine Length of Stay Middle Aged Surgery Hospitalization Socioeconomic Factors Accidents Home Family medicine Emergency Medicine Hong Kong Female Burns business First aid |
| Zdroj: | Burns. 33:995-1000 |
| ISSN: | 0305-4179 |
| Popis: | Objective To develop burn prevention strategies for the elderly population in Hong Kong using a novel epidemiological approach. Methods Medical records of all patients aged 60 or above who were admitted to our hospital in a 6-year period were reviewed and demographic data, injury characteristics, details of management and outcome were obtained. Selected interviews were undertaken to determine the exact mechanisms of injury and further details of the medical and social background. Results Fifty-nine elderly patients were identified from the medical records with under half (42%) aged 75 and above. Male to female ratio was 1:1.68. Three-quarters of the injuries occurred at home, principally in the kitchen and bathroom. Two-thirds of the burns were scalds. Forty-eight percent of the admitted patients had surgery. Thirty-seven patients (or next of kin) were interviewed further. Of the subgroup only 12% had received appropriate first aid and 27% had treatment delayed for over 24 h before seeking medical help. The majority of patients had little or no formal education and one quarter were living alone. Conclusion We identified common scenarios of elderly burns which could be used to focus prevention strategies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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