Barnsley G Philip, Barnsley Shannon E
Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Can J Plast Surg. 2007 Spring;15(1):33-7. doi: 10.1177/229255030701500110.
Tap water scalds can be devastating and are entirely preventable. This topic has received notable attention in Canada in recent years, with a national campaign in 2001 directed at parents recommending that they lower the water temperature of their home water heater. This campaign has been evaluated and reported as a successful population-based intervention.
The present study evaluated the rate of pediatric tap water scalds in Ottawa, Ontario over the 10-year period from 1993 to 2002 in an attempt to identify the impact of this national awareness campaign.
Data from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario available in the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program database were used to calculate the yearly incidence density of tap water scalds among children younger than 15 years in the city of Ottawa.
It was found that there was no statistically significant change in the rate of pediatric tap water scalds following the national campaign, and that the rate of these injuries was already very low (3.73 per 100,000 person-years over the study period). Of these, only 17% required observation or admission to hospital.
Given the low incidence of these injuries, their priority as a public health concern needs to be re-evaluated. If they continue to be a priority, new preventive strategies need to be used. It is thought that resources used to lobby for legislation of lower hot water temperatures may be more effective in reducing the incidence of these injuries.
自来水烫伤危害极大且完全可以预防。近年来，这一话题在加拿大受到显著关注，2001年开展了一项面向家长的全国性活动，建议他们调低家中热水器的水温。该活动已得到评估并被报道为一项成功的基于人群的干预措施。
本研究评估了1993年至2002年这10年间安大略省渥太华市儿童自来水烫伤的发生率，以试图确定这项全国性宣传活动的影响。
利用加拿大医院伤害报告与预防项目数据库中安大略东部儿童医院的数据，计算渥太华市15岁以下儿童自来水烫伤的年发病密度。
研究发现，全国性活动开展后，儿童自来水烫伤发生率没有统计学上的显著变化，而且这些伤害的发生率本来就很低（研究期间每10万人年为3.73例）。其中，只有17%的患儿需要留观或住院治疗。
鉴于这些伤害的发生率较低，需要重新评估其作为公共卫生问题的优先程度。如果它们仍然是优先事项，就需要采用新的预防策略。据认为，用于游说制定更低热水温度法规的资源可能在降低这些伤害的发生率方面更有效。
