Nearly half the patients at burns centre are children

Cases tend to increase during Ramadan, says unit manager at Mafraq Hospital

S a m i h a h Z a m a n

Nearly half of all patients admitted each year to the UAE’s official Burns Centre at Mafraq Hospital are children below the age of 12 years, representatives at the hospital said in the capital yesterday.

Many of these burns were a result of hot liquid — including water, coffee or tea — being spilled.

“In 2011, 40 per cent of the patients in the burns unit were children below the age of 12. What is scary is that 23 per cent of all patients who were admitted with burns last year were, in fact, below the age of three years,” Bunna Eng-Tusitala, the burns unit manager at the hospital, told

In the first half of 2012 as well, the hospital admitted 425 burns cases, half of whom were young children.

While children between the ages of three and seven commonly suffer burns from playing with matches, those under the age of three tend to accidentally turn on the hot water tap.

“Many parents don’t realise that hot liquids have the same impact on children’s skin as fire, and can lead to thirddegree burns that, in severe instances, lead to multi-organ failure and even death,” EngTusitala said.

The severity of a liquid burn depends on the water temperature and how long the skin has come into contact with the scalding liquid. Residents, however, need to be aware that a very short period is sufficient to cause a bad injury.

According to the American Burn Association, liquids hotter than 68 degree Celsius can cause a severe burn with just one second of exposure.

Less attentive

And among children, who have a thinner layer of skin compared to adults, an injury could easily mean a third-degree burn. Such burns usually require surgery to graft skin on to the affected area before the patient recovers.

Immediate first aid is always required in the case of a burn, Eng-Tusitala advised. This includes putting the burnt area under cold running water, or at least submerging it in a basin of lukewarm water immediately. Burn shields available at phar- macies are also recommended.

“Unfortunately, many parents opt for supposed remedies like ice, onions and butter, but these do not actually help. Within the hour it generally takes parents to bring children to the burns unit, the burn gets progressively worse,” she said.

Once children are admitted at the hospital, physicians conduct wound inspections and treat the burn. The pain however lasts at least two to three weeks.

Eng-Tusitala said that the number of burns cases also tends to increase by about 30 per cent during the course of Ramadan.

“Perhaps parents are busy, or are less able to be attentive during this time,” she said.

To stem the increase in burns cases, the hospital is currently organising ten two-hour awareness sessions during Ramadan. While the sessions focus on preventing burns, parents and residents are also advised on what measures to take in case of an accident.