Burns occur in various ways and they are the most common causes of injuries in children, said Zoran Barcot, head of the Children's Hospital Zagreb emergency department and doctor at the department of trauma, burns and plastic and reconstructive surgery.
In Croatia, over 3,000 children and young people are treated for burns every year, with there being twice as many boys as girls. On average, four children per year die from burns, and 11 have severe injuries. Little children are especially susceptible to burn injuries, Barcot said.
Treating children with severe burns is often associated with a number of surgical procedures and long hospital stays, which always has functional and aesthetic consequences and the child's and the entire family's mental health suffers.
This year's slogan is "Caution, hot", which aims to highlight a wide range of dangers that burn injuries can cause, especially when it comes to children and young people under the age of 18.
Hot beverages can cause third-degree burns with permanent scars, especially in children under the age of five, most often in the kitchen. Long-term damage to children's sensitive skin occurs even at a liquid temperature of 52°C.
Barcot underscored that thanks to the work of a multidisciplinary team of doctors at Zagreb's Children's Hospital "Klaiceva" who apply new surgical techniques and thanks to the availability of new materials and equipment for treatment, as well as high-quality intensive care, this part of our paediatric medicine has been at the top in Europe for many years.