J Korean Burn Soc.  2023 Jun;26(1):8-16. 10.47955/jkbs.23.0001.

Analysis of Geriatric Burns in a Burn Center: Behavioral and Clinical Characteristics

• Joo HS
• Kim HB
• Sung KY

• KMID: 2542968
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.47955/jkbs.23.0001

Abstract

Purpose
Elderly people are particularly susceptible to burn injuries due to physiological and anatomical aging processes. As the elderly population is expected to grow, the number of burn injuries among this group is also likely to increase. Researchers and health professionals must analyze the causes of geriatric burn injuries, establish targeted preventive policies, and provide education on strategies to minimize burns.
Methods
To understand the epidemiological causes of burns in the elderly, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients admitted to our burn center in Korea between January 2019 and December 2021. Of 1,082 patients admitted with burn injuries, 323 (29.9%) were aged 65 years or older and were included in further examination.
Results
The elderly patients included more women (64.1%) than men (35.9%), and the causes of burns differed according to gender. Flame burns were more common among men than women, and only men experienced electrical burns. Most older people live alone (54%); accordingly, the most common place of injury for these patients was home (77%), followed by the workplace (14%), with the causes of burns differing between those locations. Sixteen patients (4.9%) started medical treatment at least 2 weeks post-injury, while 29 patients (8.9%) began burn treatment after 1 month. Scalding (55.4%) was the most common cause of burn injury. Most injuries were deep second-(35%) or third-(39%) degree burns, and the most common treatment method was surgery (64.7%). The most frequently affected areas were the legs (24%) and feet (23%).
Conclusion
Through this analysis of the clinical profile of burns in the elderly, we endeavored to help establish suitable preventive policies.

Keyword

Geriatric burns; Preventive policy; Epidemiology