"The home, the bathroom, the taps, and hot water": The contextual characteristics of tap water scalds in Australia and New Zealand

Yvonne Singer; Lincoln M Tracy; Hana Menezes; Heather Cleland; Tracey Perrett; Fiona Wood; Lara Harvey

doi:10.1016/j.burns.2021.08.022

"The home, the bathroom, the taps, and hot water": The contextual characteristics of tap water scalds in Australia and New Zealand

Burns. 2022 Jun;48(4):1004-1012. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2021.08.022. Epub 2021 Aug 30.

Authors

Yvonne Singer¹, Lincoln M Tracy², Hana Menezes³, Heather Cleland⁴, Tracey Perrett⁵, Fiona Wood⁶, Lara Harvey⁷

Affiliations

¹ Victorian Adult Burn Service, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Australia. Electronic address: Y.Singer@alfred.org.au.
² Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Australia.
³ Victorian Adult Burn Service, Melbourne, Australia; Australian and New Zealand Burns Association, Australia.
⁴ Victorian Adult Burn Service, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Australia.
⁵ Australian and New Zealand Burns Association, Australia; National Burn Service, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁶ State Adult Burn Service, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Western Australia, Australia.
⁷ Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 34895791
DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2021.08.022

Abstract

Introduction: Scalds from hot tap water can have devastating consequences and lifelong impact on survivors. The aims of this study were to (i) describe the frequency, demographic profile, injury event characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes for people with tap water scalds admitted to Australian and New Zealand burn centres; and (ii) determine whether variation was present in the frequency and epidemiological characteristics of tap water scalds between jurisdictions.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand for people with tap water scalds admitted to Australian or New Zealand burn centres between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018. Demographic, injury severity and event characteristics, surgical intervention, and in-hospital outcomes were investigated.

Results: We included 650 people with tap water scalds admitted to Australian and New Zealand burn centres during the study period. Australians with tap water scalds (median [IQR] 29 [1-69] years) were older than New Zealanders (2 [1-36] years). Most tap water scalds occurred in the home, and 92% of these occurred in the bathroom. More than 55% of injuries occurred due to the accidental alteration of water temperature at the tap fixture. Two thirds of patients underwent a surgical wound procedure. The overall mortality rate was 3.7%, and the median hospital length of stay was 8.8 days.

Conclusion: Tap water scalds remain a public health problem in Australia and New Zealand. Our research highlights where gaps in current heated water regulations in residential homes perpetuate risks of tap water scalds, particularly in high-risk groups at the extremes of age. Extending current heated water regulations to include all Australia and New Zealand homes is urgently needed in conjunction with design safety improvements, and ongoing education of key stakeholders.

Keywords: Burn; Burns; Hot water; Hot water temperature; Legislation; Prevention; Scald; Scalds; Tap water.

MeSH terms

Accidents, Home
Australia / epidemiology
Burns* / epidemiology
Burns* / etiology
Burns* / therapy
Humans
Infant
New Zealand / epidemiology
Toilet Facilities
Water

Substances

Water