Citation

Clark DE, Dainiak CN, Reeder S. Inj. Prev. 2000; 6(4): 259-262.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Maine Medical Center, Portland 04102, USA. clarkd@poa.mmc.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11144623

PMCID

PMC1730661

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine changes in the incidence of burn injury since the regionalization of burn care and intensification of fire prevention initiatives that occurred in Maine during the 1970s. METHODS: Death certificate data from Maine and the United States for deaths due to fire or burns were obtained for 1960-98. Hospitalization and burn registry data were obtained for Maine from 1973-98. Frequencies and incidence rates were compared over time and, where possible, between Maine and the United States. RESULTS: During 1960-79, annual burn mortality in Maine averaged 5.1/100,000, with random variation. After this, the rate declined steadily to an average annual level of 1.4/100,000 during 1993-96. For the entire United States, average annual mortality declined from 4.2/100,000 during 1961-64 to 1.5/100,000 during 1993-96. Reduction in mortality has been principally due to prevention of dwelling fires. Hospitalization for burns in Maine was 34.8/100,000 during 1973-76 and declined to 10.6/100,000 during 1995-98. CONCLUSIONS: Burn prevention measures have dramatically reduced the incidence of death and hospitalization resulting from burns in Maine.