Holger Möller1, Lara Harvey2, Kathleen Falster3, Rebecca Ivers4, Kathleen F Clapham5, Louisa Jorm3. 1. Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW holger@unsw.edu.au. 2. Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW. 3. Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW. 4. The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW. 5. University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in the characteristics of burn injuries leading to hospitalisation of Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous children in New South Wales.Design, setting: Population-based cohort analysis of linked hospital and mortality data for 2000-2014. PARTICIPANTS: 35 749 Indigenous and 1 088 938 non-Indigenous children aged 0-13 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The external cause of the injury, its anatomic location, total body surface area affected (%TBSA), burn depth, length of hospital stay (LOS). RESULTS: 4246 non-Indigenous and 323 Indigenous children were hospitalised for a first burn injury during 2000-2014. A higher proportion of Indigenous than non-Indigenous children were admitted with burns affecting more than 10% TBSA (17% v 12%) and a lower proportion of Indigenous children than of non-Indigenous children were treated at a hospital with a paediatric tertiary referral burn unit (40% v 50%; P < 0.001). The mean LOS during the index admission was almost 3 days longer for Indigenous children than for non-Indigenous children (6.1 days [95% CI, 4.8-7.4 days] v 3.4 days [95% CI, 3.2-3.7 days]; P < 0.001); the difference in LOS was still statistically significant after adjusting for characteristics of the burn and residential location. CONCLUSION: The proportion of Indigenous children with burns who presented with burn injuries affecting more than 10% TBSA was greater than for non-Indigenous children. Their mean LOS was also longer; the difference remained statistically significant after adjusting for characteristics of the burn and of residential location.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in the characteristics of burn injuries leading to hospitalisation of Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous children in New South Wales.Design, setting: Population-based cohort analysis of linked hospital and mortality data for 2000-2014. PARTICIPANTS: 35 749 Indigenous and 1 088 938 non-Indigenous children aged 0-13 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The external cause of the injury, its anatomic location, total body surface area affected (%TBSA), burn depth, length of hospital stay (LOS). RESULTS: 4246 non-Indigenous and 323 Indigenous children were hospitalised for a first burn injury during 2000-2014. A higher proportion of Indigenous than non-Indigenous children were admitted with burns affecting more than 10% TBSA (17% v 12%) and a lower proportion of Indigenous children than of non-Indigenous children were treated at a hospital with a paediatric tertiary referral burn unit (40% v 50%; P < 0.001). The mean LOS during the index admission was almost 3 days longer for Indigenous children than for non-Indigenous children (6.1 days [95% CI, 4.8-7.4 days] v 3.4 days [95% CI, 3.2-3.7 days]; P < 0.001); the difference in LOS was still statistically significant after adjusting for characteristics of the burn and residential location. CONCLUSION: The proportion of Indigenous children with burns who presented with burn injuries affecting more than 10% TBSA was greater than for non-Indigenous children. Their mean LOS was also longer; the difference remained statistically significant after adjusting for characteristics of the burn and of residential location.
Authors: Julieann Coombes; Sarah Fraser; Kate Hunter; Rebecca Ivers; Andrew Holland; Julian Grant; Tamara Mackean Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-02-26 Impact factor: 3.390