Introduction: As fire pits grow in popularity, so do the associated burn injuries. Our study examines pediatric fire pit burns characteristics to raise awareness and promote safety precautions.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of pediatric patients (≤21 years) with firepit burns at a tertiary care hospital from 2016 to 2021.
Results: Eighty-four patients were identified, of whom 70.2% were male, with a median age of 62 months. The median percent total body surface area burned was 2% (interquartile range (IQR)=1-4). Thirty-five (41.7%) patients were admitted and 7 (8.3%) underwent grafting. Neck and trunk burns had the highest grafting rates (66% and 33%, respectively). The hands (41.7%) and the lower extremities (27.4%) were the most frequently burned body areas. The leading causes of burns were ashes/hot coals (34.5%), flames (31.0%), and direct contact (25.0%), often resulting from falling into the fire (59.5%) or running or playing in activities near it (26.2%). Thirty-five (41.7%) were admitted for inpatient management, while 49 (58.3%) were treated as outpatient. Eleven (13.2%) underwent at least one reconstructive surgery, 7 (8.4%) had at least one rehabilitation visit, and 65 (77.4%) had follow-up clinic visits. The median length of stay was 2 days (IQR=1.0-3.5). The peak months for burns were from August through October (n=40, 46.0%), with an increase observed from 10 cases in 2016 to 20 cases in 2020.
Conclusions: Given the significant proportion of firepit burns resulting from unsafe fire behaviors, it is crucial that caretakers are aware of proper firepit safety precautions.
Level of evidence: III.
Keywords: Child Health; Preventive Medicine.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.