There are an estimated 180,000 people who suffer from fatal burns every year around the world. While many cases take place beyond U.S. borders, there are still many people who suffer within the country. Even nonfatal burns lead to problems that affect individuals, like prolonged hospitalization, disability, disfigurement and social rejection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the United States saw over 410,000 burn injuries in 2008. The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2011 estimated that 486,000 people suffered burns requiring medical treatment. This doesn’t take into consideration burns treated at hospital clinics, private medical offices or community health centers; in most of those cases, the burns are minor.
Around 60 percent of the acute hospitalizations in the United States related to burns went to only 128 burn centers around the country. There are around 4,500 other acute care hospitals, but each only typically receives three or fewer patients yearly.
The good news about burn injuries is that the majority are survivable. The survival rate for patients, as of the American Burn Association’s 2015 report, is 96.8 percent. Around 5 percent of the patients are treated after street or highway accidents.
Burn injuries are life-changing events for many people. They change the way they’re perceived in life and may alter how they feel about themselves. They may be prone to infection or have to avoid the sun for fear of worsening scar tissue or getting a sunburn.
Burns make living life harder, and those who suffer as a result of another person’s negligence should be compensated. They have ongoing medical concerns that must continue to be addressed. Our website has more on this important topic.