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Abstract
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Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we identified an increase in the variety of injuries occurring at home during lockdown.
The UK fitness industry is estimated to generate over £3 billion per annum with over 5.7 million people with a gym membership [1]. Since the lockdown in March 2020, gyms were closed with UK laws limiting the population leaving their home for essential travel or a period of outdoor exercise [2]. Limitations in fitness regimes has prompted a 170% rise in sales of fitness equipment such as treadmills, bicycles for indoor use [3].
Our Burns Centre has anecdotally noted a rise in paediatric treadmill friction injuries occurring during this pandemic caused when children have placed their hand on or underneath a moving treadmill. Typically, the parent is unaware of the childs whereabouts as the parent is pre-occupied running on the treadmill or listening to music.
Urgent public awareness of this injury is warranted due to the significance of these injuries once sustained. Typically these injuries result in a full thickness friction burn usually undergoing excision and grafting in comparison to other burn injuries e.g. scalds which are more typically managed with conservative dressings if found to be less deep.
It is essential as a service we recognise the potential of this new hazard that has been brought into households and promote public awareness to prevent this type of avoidable injury...
Language: en |