• Julia Natterer, Anthony de Buys Roessingh, Olivier Reinberg, and Judith Hohlfeld.
• Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Center of the Canton of Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland. julia.natterer@chuv.ch
• Swiss Med Wkly. 2009 Sep 19; 139 (37-38): 535-9.

Question Under StudyDomestic accidents are an important problem in paediatric medicine. This study was designed to gain a better understanding of burn mechanisms and target prevention.MethodsChildren treated for burn lesions in the Department of Paediatric Surgery between August 2004 and August 2005 were included in this prospective study. The burn mechanisms, the children's ages and the circumstances in which children were burned as well as their home environment variables were analyzed.ResultsThe current study included eighty-nine patients, aged between 2 months and 15 years. Seventy-eight percent were less than 5 years old. More than half were boys. Hot liquid scalding was the most frequent mechanism. There does not seem to be an increased risk in the immigrant population or in low economic status families. In most cases, an adult person was present at time of injury.ConclusionsIf we were to describe the highest "at risk" candidate for a burn in our region, it would be a boy aged 15 months to 5 years who is burned by a cup of hot liquid on his hand, at home, around mealtime, in the presence of one or both parents. Reduced attention in the safe domestic setting is probably responsible.

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