Burn Statistics

The statistics collected from various non-profit organizations reflect that while great strides have been made in burn injury prevention and treatment, such injuries are still prevalent and extremely dangerous.

United States

• 450,000 Americans receive medical treatment for burn injuries each year via hospital or emergency room admissions. This does not include clinic or private medical office visits.
• 3,400 Americans die annually from fire, burns, or smoke inhalation. These numbers are combined because, in some cases, it can be difficult to pinpoint a cause of death.
• Of these deaths, 2,550 are from residential fires, 300 are from automobile crashes, 150 are from non-residential fires, and 400 come from contact with electricity, scalding liquids, or hot objects.
• 40,000 Americans are hospitalized each year for burn injuries. Around 30,000 are hospitalized at one of the nation’s 127 burn centers.
• The survival rate for those admitted to Burn Centers exceeds 96%.
• Nearly 70% of patients at burn centers are male.
• In 2004, nearly all (96%) U.S. homes had at least one smoke alarm. Only 75% had at least one that worked.
• Of those admitted to burn centers, the cause of their burns breaks down as follows:
  • 43% fire or flame
  • 34% scald
  • 9% contact with hot object
  • 4% electrical
  • 3% chemical
  • 7% other

Sources: http://www.ameriburn.org/resources_factsheet.php; http://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=fire-safety-and-burns–injury-statistics-and-incidence-rates-90-P02978

Children in the United States

• The majority of fire-related deaths are caused by smoke inhalation. Burns only account for 30% of fire-related deaths and injuries.
• Fires kill about 500 children age 14 and under each year.
• 65% of those children age 4 or younger hospitalized for burn-related injuries suffer from scald burns.
• Hot tap water scald burns result in more deaths and hospitalizations than other hot liquid burns.
• The most common cause of home fire-related injuries is home cooking equipment. The leading causes of fire-related deaths are from cigarettes and other smoking materials.
• The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries amongst children are hair curlers, curling irons, heaters, ovens and stoves, irons, gasoline, and fireworks.
• Children ages 5 and younger are more than twice as likely to die in a fire as any other age group.

Source: http://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=fire-safety-and-burns–injury-statistics-and-incidence-rates-90-P02978

Worldwide

• Approximately 265,000 deaths occur every year because of burns. The majority occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Non-fatal burns are a leading cause of disability, including prolonged hospitalization and disfigurement.
• In 2004, almost 11 million people were burned severely enough to need medical attention.
• Unlike most injuries, where males have higher rates of occurrence, females and males have similar rates for burn injuries. This is most likely due to open-fire cooking and unsafe stoves, which can ignite clothing.
• Burns are the 11^th leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 9.
• Burns are the fifth most common cause of non-fatal childhood injuries.

Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs365/en/