Friction burns in the Northern Territory
Thomas Whitton1, Dave Jacinto1, Jessica Kierath1, 1Royal Darwin Hospital Northern Territory, Australia
Abstract
Friction burns are under recognised and under reported injuries, often missed or neglected in the context of major trauma (Tracy, 2023). In the Northern Territory, friction burns commonly occur when riders fall from their motorbikes onto either bitumen or off road surfaces such as gravel or dirt. Anecdotally, riders may be reluctant to wear protective clothing due to the sweltering weather conditions in the Northern Territory, leaving them at greater risk of friction burns. A review of friction burns treated in both inpatient and outpatient settings at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia, was undertaken from 2018-2023. A total of 86 presentations were referred to the burns unit during the study period. Most patients were males (87%) with a median age of 25 years (range 7-81). The median TBSA affected was 2% with most burns being of mixed partial thickness and occasionally full thickness, and most commonly affecting the upper and lower limbs, including hands and feet, as well as the trunk. This present study likely significantly underestimates the frequency of friction burn injuries, and serves as a reminder to clinicians to be mindful of the involvement of skin by friction burns, especially when undertaking secondary and tertiary trauma surveys, and to refer these injuries to the local burns team when recognised. Early recognition and referral to a burns team optimises burn wound care, reduces the risk of infection, and will improve outcomes of these injuries.
References:
Tracy LM, Gabbe BJ and Beck B, 2023. ‘Friction burns in cyclists: An under-recognised problem’. Injury 54 (4), 1119-1124.
Biography
Tom is a Plastic Surgery Registrar at Royal Darwin Hospital with a keen interest in burns and rural health.