FOI 25-082 - Burn Patient Incidents
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-082 - Burn Patient Incidents
- Request Date
- 18 Feb 2025
- Response Date
- 04 Mar 2025
- Information Requested
For the period between 31/01/2023 and 31/01/2025 please provide
1. Number of burn injuries attended:
2. Age groups of burn injury patients attended (paediatric or adult):
3. Numbers of each type of burn injury attended (thermal, chemical, electrical, radiation, cold-exposure, other):
4. Numbers of each burn depth attended (epidermal burn, superficial partial thickness burn, deep partial thickness burn, full thickness burn):
5. Number of each incident type where burn injuries were attended (eg home fire, vehicle fire, industrial accident, workplace injury, domestic incident, suspected intentional attack/assault, firework):
6. Dressings/burn management equipment carried by your service:
7. Does your service utilise any specific burns SOP or guidance (if so please attach a copy)- Response
IMPORTANT FOR INTERPRETING THIS INFORMATION
This information has been provided in a few tables as a new clinical system is being phased in. This phased system has been in place since June 2024 and involves only a portion of Scotland. There is the possibility that an incident from the Terrapace 3 system could be counted in the Terrapace 2 system and therefore the figures in the table should NOT be added together.1. Number of burn injuries attended:
The number of incidents with a chief complaint of Burns/Exposure from 01/01/2023 - 31/01/2025 was 2625. This information was taken from the triage and despatch system.
The number of incidents with the final diagnostic code of Burns (after crews have attended) for the time period requested was
Terrapace 2 system – 1660
Terrapace 3 System - 472. Age groups of burn injury patients attended (paediatric or adult):
The age is a non-mandatory field.,The number of incidents with the final diagnostic code of Burns (after crews have attended) broken down by age for the time period requested was
Terrapace 2 system – Unknown age – 397; Adult –974; Child (<18) - 403.
Terrapace 3 system – Unknown age – 7; Adult – 29; Child (<18) - 113. Please see the attached sheet with the figures for each burn type.
4. Numbers of each burn depth attended (epidermal burn, superficial partial thickness burn, deep partial thickness burn, full thickness burn):
5. Number of each incident type where burn injuries were attended (eg home fire, vehicle fire, industrial accident, workplace injury, domestic incident, suspected intentional attack/assault, firework):
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not categorise calls in a way that would allow us to report on burn depth or incident type. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as information not held.6. Dressings/burn management equipment carried by your service:
After assessing and correcting any airway, breathing circulation problems, crews irrigate/cool the burn area with water for max 20 mins and for chemical burns up to one hour. The Scottish Ambulance Service don’t stock gel-based dressings because water is the preferred treatment. Crews can use clingfilm to cover burn areas, and other treatment as required - pain management, oxygen, fluid resuscitation with 0.9% saline, salbutamol if wheezing,7. Does your service utilise any specific burns SOP or guidance (if so please attach a copy)
The Scottish Ambulance Service’s crews follow the JRCALC Burns and Scalds guidance, Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (JRCALC and AACE), 2019- Response Documents
