Abstract

In the US scald injuries account for close to 44% of all paediatric burn injuries. Approximately 110 000 paediatric scalding injuries occur as the result of spilled food or beverages, pulling pots off the stove, bumping into an adult carrying hot foods or liquids and from tap or bath water. The DC Firefighters Burn Foundation (DCFFBF) secured grant funding and purchased 26 000 bath scald prevention thermometers (20 000 printed in English and 6000 printed in Spanish). These thermometers were approximately the size of a credit card and can be submerged in bath or tap water to determine if the temperature is safe for children. These thermometers were distributed to Labor and Delivery units in the eight inner city hospitals as well as the Burn Center at Washington Hospital Center and the Burn Clinic at Children's National Medical Center. 25 000 spill proof coffee mugs were also purchased and distributed to parents in the area as another proactive measure to prevent scald injuries among children. Providing these tools for parents, will hopefully help to decrease the incidence of scald injuries, and raise awareness about the importance of burn injury prevention. Admission information is currently being monitored at the regional burn centres to assess for a reduction in injuries among this population.