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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Miriam J. McGaugh, MS and Sue Mallonee, RN, MPH. Injury Prevention Service, Oklahoma State Deparment of Health, 1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73112, 405-271-3430, MiriamM@health.state.ok.us
From 1988 to 2000, 300 Oklahomans were hospitalized in a burn center or died because of an intentional burn or smoke inhalation injury, 63% were intentionally injured by fire. This study describes the occurrence and characteristics of intentional fire-related injuries in Oklahoma. Surveillance data were collected from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the three burn centers in Oklahoma and supplemented with State Fire Marshal and Department of Public Safety reports. The case fatality rate is 48% (90/189). House fires corresponded with 37% of injuries. Seventy-five percent (141/189) of injuries occurred among persons age 15 to 54 with a mean age of 32 years, 17% were children under the age of 15. Males accounted for 63% of injuries. African Americans had the highest average annual injury rate (1.3 per 100,000 population). Intentional injuries inflicted by a non-related person or intimate partner accounted for 46% (87/189) of all cases, followed by suicide-related injuries (26%), domestic violence injuries (19%) and other injuries (9%). Of the 49 suicide-related injuries, five had been released from a psychiatric treatment facility, most within one week of the incident. Preventing intentional fire-related injuries poses a challenge to the public health community. Existing mental health programs should be evaluated for ways to improve services. Domestic violence organizations should educate their participants on ways to minimize fire-related incidences. Local police and fire departments should be made aware of local situations, such as gang activity, which might result in a fire-related injury.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Injury Prevention, Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.