TY - JOUR PY - 2009// TI - Accident proneness and impulsiveness in an Italian group of burn patients JO - Burns: journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries A1 - Pavan, Chiara A1 - Grasso, Giovanna A1 - Costantini, Maria Vittoria A1 - Pavan, Luigi A1 - Masier, Francesca A1 - Azzi, Maria Francesca A1 - Azzena, Bruno A1 - Marini, M. A1 - Vindigni, Vincenzo SP - 247 EP - 255 VL - 35 IS - 2 N2 - There is controversy about the existence of a predisposition to burn incidents (accident proneness). Our objective was to examine, in a group of burn patients, the conditions or "unconscious" subjective predisposition, the presence of impulsiveness that may have contributed to bringing about the"burn"event, and to assess the presence of psychiatric diagnoses and specific characteristics of temperament. 25 consecutive burn patients were interviewed by using specific psychometric tests. The sample was divided into two groups: "control" group (N= 10), composed of subjects who had accidentally been involved in the incident and "case" group (N= 15) composedof subjects who had very likely and more or less "knowingly" put themselves at risk of injury. We observed a marked statistically significant difference with case group subjects appearing to be more impulsive than the ones in control group. Higher levels of impulsiveness may predispose case group patients to a greater risk of burn. Our survey also seems to reveal a relationship between impulsiveness and the proneness of some subjects to burns.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0305-4179 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2008.07.002 ID - ref1 ER -