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The American Trauma Society, PA Division, Observes Burn Awareness Week

Feb 05, 2019
American Trauma Society

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania – Every year, the first week of February marks “Burn Awareness Week.” 2019’s theme is scald burn injuries. According to the American Burn Association, almost every minute, a person in the United States is severely burned enough to require medical treatment.

American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division CEO, Krista Brands said, “The national statistics for scald burn victims, especially for children, are staggering, so as an organization with a passion to raise trauma awareness for all Pennsylvanians, we want the public to know that so many scald burns are preventable, such as cooking safely, practicing safe bathing habits, and being vigilant when handling and drinking hot liquids, like coffee.”

The following are some facts to share with others about burns, particularly scald burns:

• On average, more than 300 children in the United States are seen in Emergency Departments daily, and two children die per day.
• Scald burn injuries account for 376,950 of burns – scald burns are mainly the result of the misuse of common household appliances like stoves, bathtubs, showers, coffee makers, and ovens.
• Almost 90 percent of scald burns are from cooking, drinking, and serving hot liquids (e.g. coffee is served at 175 degrees Fahrenheit, so it can be very dangerous if spilled or consumed before cooling).
• From 2013 to 2017, 21 percent of children under four years of age were injured due to a scald burn.
• It is important to note that infants and toddlers, as well as the elderly, have thinner dermal layers of skin, resulting in worse burns.
• To help prevent scald injuries, set water heaters no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Safe bathing is 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Burn awareness materials for the 2019 campaign can be found at: http://ameriburn.org/prevention/burn-awareness-week/

About ATSPA
The American Trauma Society, PA Division (ATSPA) is a non-profit trauma prevention education organization dedicated to reducing suffering, disability and death due to trauma. The ATSPA strives to help all Pennsylvanians survive and lead healthier lives through its trauma prevention education programs. For information, call 717-766-1616 and visit www.atspa.org.

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