South Dakota Burn Injuries : Description and Analysis

The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent and nature of burn injuries in South Dakota. Interior product burn injuries were given special attention. A major objective was to compare and contrast burn injuries in a rural agrarian area to an urban area. Data from a previous study done in Boston, Massachusetts was used for comparison. The population consisted of all persons receiving burn. injuries in South Dakota from July 1, 1979, through June 30, 1980. There were 384 burn injuries in South Dakota in the study time period. Because of the relative small size of the population, no sample was drawn. Information was obtained from South Dakota hospitals through a questionnaire. Additional assistance in obtaining data came from the State Fire Marshal and a newspaper clipping service. Chi square analysis was utilized to determine significance of differences. In South Dakota men were burned significantly more than women, even though they constitute a smaller portion of the population. When age of victims was considered, numbers burned were significantly different than their distribution in the state. Native Americans are at significantly higher risk than Caucasians in South Dakota. When comparing a rural to an urban area, significant. differences were found in sex of victims, age of victims, severity of injuries, and heat sources causing injuries