Epidemiology of hand burns among children in Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria

BACKGROUND: The events leading to hand burns injuries in a child are a complex relationship between the child, heat source, mechanism, and the environment where the event occurs. Preventing hand burns in children needs an understanding of its epidemiology. OBJECTIVES: To describe the etiology, pattern, mechanism, and the environmental setting in childhood hand burn injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective study of all children who sustained burns injury to the hand over a 5-year period (January 2011–December 2015). The study was conducted at the Plastic Surgery Unit of the Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria. Recorded information included age, gender, agent of burns, pattern of injury, mechanism of injury, and the setting at the time of injury. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed using SPSS version 21. RESULTS: A total of 47 children sustained burn injuries to the hand. The mean age was 2.17 years, a standard deviation of ±2.15, and age range of 0 to 13 years. There were 26 children <2 years old (55.32%), whereas 18 (38.30%) were of 2 to <4 years of age. Twenty-six (55.32%) were male, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.23:1. Most of the children suffered scald injury [29 (61.7%)] followed by contact burns in 12 (25.53%). Dipping hands into hot water was the most common cause of injury. Holding hot charcoal was the most common type of contact burns. The hands only were affected in 37 (78.72%) of the children. The burns mostly [45 (97.87%)] occurred at home. Mothers were the custodians of the children in 42 (93.33%). CONCLUSION: Targeted preventive approach for mothers, especially through maternal education using ante natal, immunization, and pediatric clinics are suggested.