Burns are considered severe if they cover at least 20% of the body surface area in children under 5 years of age, at least 30% in those over 5 years of age, or if they affect the respiratory tract. Whether accidental (in a domestic or work setting) or intentional (assaults, suicide attempts, etc.), such burns cause physical and psychological sequelae for victims and their loved ones, and their treatment most often requires very costly resources. Burns are, however, most often preventable through the adoption of simple safety precautions at the individual level or through the establishment of a protective regulatory/legislative framework. The essential prerequisite for any preventive measure is a precise understanding of the circumstances in which they occur and the profiles of the victims.

Key points to remember:

• 8,120 people were hospitalized for burns in mainland France in 2014

• the majority were men (5,099 versus 3,021 women)

• children under 5 are the most affected and account for more than a quarter of those hospitalized (28.8%)

• burns are mostly accidental (93.7% of patients) and primarily caused by contact with hot liquids: the leading cause of burns among children aged 0–4 and 5–14, and the leading cause among women of all ages over 14

• Exposure to "fire, flames, and smoke" is the leading cause of burns among men aged 15 and older

• Contact with hot solids is the second leading cause of burns among children aged 0 to 4

• 190 people died in the hospital as a result of burns in 2014

Trends between 2009 and 2014: a downward trend

Over the 2009–2014 period, a decrease in incidence was observed (13.8 per 100,000 in 2009 compared to 12.3 per 100,000 in 2014). This decline, primarily among men, occurred as part of the implementation in France of various prevention measures, such as reducing the maximum temperature of hot tap water or mandating the installation of standalone smoke detectors.

The results of the analyses show that further efforts are needed in burn prevention, as the number of patients hospitalized for burns remains high. Improving burn prevention in France requires consolidating existing measures and extending them to certain risks that are currently overlooked or under-addressed. The regular production of indicators on the frequency and severity of burns leading to hospitalization, as well as the circumstances and causes of their occurrence, is essential for defining prevention measures. Specific surveys aimed at precisely identifying the causes of burns (by product type), as well as the profiles of victims (socioeconomic characteristics, health status, consumption habits, environment, etc.), are necessary to supplement these hospital data.

Learn more:

• Paget L-M, Thélot B. Burn victims hospitalized in mainland France in 2014 and trends since 2009. Summary. Saint-Maurice: Santé publique France; 2018. 14 p.

• Trauma Report