Dr Bronwyn Griffin¹, Prof  Roy  Kimble¹

¹Centre For Children’s Burns And Trauma Research

Abstract:
Objectives

Children residing in areas outside major metropolitan centres may be at higher risk of injury incidence and adverse outcomes as they are routinely exposed to environmental hazards, travel long distances to receive medical care and are reported as more likely to receive adequate supervision The main objective of this study is to describe the relationship remoteness has with patterns of burn injury in Queensland children aged 0- 16 years.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed on consecutive patients treated by the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital Burns Unit (LCCH-BU). Geographic remoteness was determined by postcode as per the Area Remoteness Index of Australia.  Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine differences between demographic and injury characteristics and if these varied between geographic remoteness groups.

Results

From 2013 to 2016,  2,540 burns families were interviewed. Overall, 91.6% were residents of the Metropolitan areas. Remoteness did not significantly differ between gender, age or TBSA%. However, several factors were associated with Non-metropolitan (NM) burns including, longer admissions (p<0.0001), deeper burns (p<0.0001), grafting (p<0.0001), flame burns (p<0.001), socioeconomic disadvantage (p<0.0001) as well as burns occurring in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

Our results confirm that children from NM areas treated at the LCCH-BU sustained burns with complex clinically needs, who were more likely to affected by socioeconomic or culturally challenges.  This information is vital for clinicians and social services to consider whilst treating the NM  burns families who are more likely to be undergoing external stressors that could impact care capacity.

Biography:
Dr Griffin is the Clinical Research Manager for the Centre for Children’s Burns and Trauma Research in Brisbane Queensland. She gets to work with a fabulously engaged and committed team of researchers and clinicians who inspire her every day.