Burn patients during the Summer Solstice festivities: A retrospective analysis in a hospital burn unit from 2005 to 2015

Burns. 2016 Nov;42(7):1567-1572. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2016.04.007. Epub 2016 May 4.

Abstract

Aim: San Juan (Summer Solstice) is an annual festival celebrated in many parts of Spain on June 24 by lighting bonfires on beaches and in open air. The aim of this study is to analyse the patient profile of those sustaining burns the night before San Juan.

Material and methods: The data of 179 patients who sustained burns on June 23 and 24 between 2005 and 2015 were collected retrospectively.

Results: The average age of the patients involved in this study was 27.33 years, with males constituting a higher proportion. Hands were the most affected area of the body, and the average burn area was 3.39%. No statistically significant relationship was found between the tidal times and the number of patients with burns, although the latter increased at low tide (p=0.177).

Conclusions: The results of this study can guide prevention campaigns during these festivities in the future.

Keywords: Beach; Bonfire; Burn patients; Meteorology; San Juan.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local / therapeutic use
  • Bandages
  • Burn Units
  • Burns / epidemiology*
  • Burns / therapy
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Fires*
  • Foot Injuries / epidemiology*
  • Foot Injuries / therapy
  • Hand Injuries / epidemiology*
  • Hand Injuries / therapy
  • Holidays*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seasons
  • Sex Distribution
  • Silver Sulfadiazine / therapeutic use
  • Skin Transplantation / methods
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Time Factors
  • Weather*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local
  • Silver Sulfadiazine