- Author
-
U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
- Title
- Home Burns and Fire Deaths and Injuries: Nature and Extent of the Problem. Reports of the Epidemiology and Surveillance of Injuries. No. FY 72-R7.
- Coporate
- Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington, DC
- Report
-
DHEW (HSM) 73-10001; No. FY 72-R7
July 1972
25 p.
- Keywords
-
burns (injuries)
|
death
|
injuries
|
fire statistics
|
home fires
|
explosions
|
children
|
costs
|
cigarettes
|
electrical equipment
|
greases
|
first aid
- Abstract
- Deaths and injuries from burns are now in epidemic proportions. The poliomyelitis epidemic, through research and control programs, has been drastically reduced. The year 1952 was the worst, or peak, year for polio, with 3,145 deaths. In 1967 there were 7,423 deaths from fire and explosion. The total number of cases of polio reported in 1952 was about 58,000 of which 21,000 were paralytic cases. For burns, there are 100,000 hospitalized cases, of which 50,000 have scarring that will last for a lifetime. Compared to the polio epidemic and the public concern for the control of polio, the burn epidemic is much greater, but there is much less public concern for its control. The approach used to control polio and the concern such as was shown for polio are essential if we are to be successful in controlling burns.