ABSTRACT
A burn patient is a unique challenge for the clinician. Burns are common injuries and represent a significant medical, social, and economic problem. In the United States, an estimated 1.2 million burn injuries occur each year.1-7 There are 3400 fire/burn/smoke inhalation deaths per year. This total includes 2550 deaths from residential fires, 300 from vehicle crash fires, and 550 from other sources (approximately 150 deaths from flame burns or smoke inhalation in nonresidential fires and 400 from contact with electricity, scalding liquids, and hot objects). Fire and burn deaths are combined in these statistics, because deaths from burns in fires cannot always be distinguished from deaths from toxic smoke or other nonburn causes.4,8 In 2013 there was one civilian fire death every 2 hours and 42 minutes, and one civilian fire injury every 33 minutes. This represents a decrease in fatalities of 20.6% from 2002 to 2011.4 Trend analysis indicates a decrease of 78% in civilian fire fatalities and a decrease of 68% in civilian fire injuries per capita from 1977 to 2012.9
■ More than 1 million burn injuries and more than 3000 deaths from burns occur each year in the United States.
